Photo caption : Executive Members of Association of Esan Professionals and the benefiting students from Esanland in tertiary institutions in Lagos State in a group photograph shortly after receiving cheques from AEP in Lagos at the weekend.
…Says 50 Students Are Benefiting From The Programme
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to Esanland, the Association of Esan Professionals (AEP) has given grants worth N150,000 each to eight students of Esan extraction at different levels of studies in tertiary institutions in Lagos State.
The Esan students who benefited from AEP’s CSR were drawn from the University of Lagos(UniLag), Lagos State University(LASU) and Yaba College of Technology(YabaTech).
According to the President of AEP, Dr. Henry Egbiki , the total number of students of Esan origin that will benefit from the grant are 50 and that they are drawn from different schools
A breakdown of the number by the AEP President revealed that 10 students each were selected from the five Local Government Areas(LGAs) inhabited by the Esan people in Edo State.
The LGAs are: Esan Central, Esan South-East, Esan North-East, Esan West, and Igueben.
The programme, he said, will be a yearly affair, adding that the association organised this programme to give back to Esanland.
On how the group was able to get the deserving students, Egbiki said that AEP constituted a Screening Committee of competent personalities to achieve the association’s aim, stressing that the Committee encountered challenges in the course of carrying out its duties but that they were surmounted
The Chairman of Scholarship Screening Committee Mr. Judge Okoyo who also spoke to select journalists shortly after the presentation of cheques to the benefiting students stated that what the association has done is part of its contribution to Esanland in the area of education.
He stated that though there were challenges during the selection and screening process , but the Committee was able to overcome them.
Photo caption : L-R: Publicity Secretary, Roseline Adinoyi; Vice President, Engr. Obehi Okosun, President, Dr. Henry Egoiki; Assistant Secretary, Barr. Emmanuel Ogbebor; Treasurer, Dr. Victoria Ekhomu; Assistant Publicity Secretary, Mr. Festus Imoisili and Financial Secretary, Mr. Augustine Ejola in a group photography shortly after the presentation of cheques for the grant to the benefiting students of Esan Extraction by the Association of Esan Professionals(AEP) at the weekend in Lagos
Okoyo explained that the personalities in the Committee were determined to select the best Esan students in the schools that were selected for the programme.
Okoyo hinted that one of the major challenges the Committee faced in the process of screening the students to authenticate the documents presented to the Committee by the students, was the uncooperative attitude of Dean of Students Affairs, who according to him were not ready to freely make available the record of students available to the AEP’s Scholarship Screening Committee.
Addressing the beneficiaries of the grant, a member of the association, Prof. Mike Ikhariale told the students in clear terms that they were given the grant principally because they are sons and daughters of Esanland and also because they have the best results at whichever level that are.
He told the students that the AEP not only wish them well but also want them to succeed in their various field of study, adding that account for why the association is helping them
Ikhariale advised them to use the grant judiciously for the purpose for which it was given and that AEP will continue to support them if they continue to progress very well in their education.
The university Don warned that the association will not hesitate to disown any of them who take part in cult activities or involve himself or herself in fraud.
“We will continue to support you if you continue to keep the flag flying,” he assured the students.
“We will disown you if we hear you belong to a cult group or take part in fraud,” Ikhariale. warned.
Responding on behalf of the benefiting students, Oziegbe St. Joseph, a 300 level Architecture student of University of Lagos, thanked AEP for their kind gesture and support they have extended to all the beneficiaries from the various schools.
He prayed that God should continue to bless the association for what they have done
Another student, Paulina Godfrey, also a 300 level student of UniLag expressed gratitude to AEP for its support, adding that she never expected the grant but as God would have it, she was among the beneficiaries.
She prayed that the Almighty will continue to bless the association and promised to use the grant wisely and for the purpose it was awarded.
Earlier, members of AEP led by its President held a meeting that heralded the presentation of cheques for the grant to the beneficiaries.
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