By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
Sen. Sunday Katung (PDP-Kaduna South) has pledged to make Southern Kaduna region a hub for special skills acquisition.
Katung made this known while presenting scholarship awards to 200 students in Kafanchan.
New Nigerian reports that Katung, through his foundation, selected 200 students of higher institutions from the eight local government areas that make up the zone.
Represented by Mr. Edward Marshall, the lawmaker stated that the lack of white collar jobs in the country meant acquiring skills was the only way out.
According to him, the scholarship offer was borne out of the need to support financially disadvantaged students in their pursuit of higher education.
He said as part of efforts to bring educational development to his constituents, he had sponsored a bill to establish a Federal University of Technology in the zone which has passed first reading on the floor of the Senate.
“We are faced with too many crises at the same time as a people and the only way out of it is through education.
“I will continue to do my best to see to it that our people have the kind of education that brings about transformation,” he added.
In his remarks, the guest speaker, Prof. John La’ah, said education is the backbone of socio-economic development, hence the need for the zone to invest heavily in education.
La’ah decried the deplorable state of educational institutions in the area and called for collective action by all stakeholders.
Also speaking, the chairperson of the scholarship committee, Gloria Ballason, said the deserving undergraduate students were selected purely based on merit.
Ballason congratulated the benefiting students and urged them to make the most of the opportunity and also pray for its sustenance.
On his part, Shedrack Danladi, National President of the Southern Kaduna Youth and Students Forum noted that the forum is satisfied with the selection as it is reflective of the zone’s ethnic and religious diversity.
Danladi stated that the senator’s efforts at empowering the youth and students, is worthy of emulation by other prominent sons and daughters of the area.
Some of the benefiting students who spoke, thanked the lawmaker for the gesture and promised to make him proud.
They also prayed God to grant the lawmaker the enablement to do more for students from the zone.
