NEDC supports GOSSA with bags of staple food items, exercise books
By Chima Azubuike
The North-East Development Commission (NEDC), on Thursday supported Gombe State Students Association (GOSSA), with staple food items for distribution to vulnerable and needy students.
Our Correspondent reports that the items include; 200 bags of rice 25kg, 50 cartoons of vegetable oil, 50 bags of sugar which is 50kg and also 100 cartoons of spaghetti.
Others are 10,000 pieces of exercise books.
Flagging off the distribution of items at Gombe State University (GSU), on behalf of the Managing Director, Goni Alkali, the Store Manager Rufai Baba-Manu, said this was based on the Commission’s effort at impacting the people of the region, “in this case Gombe State Students Association because we have carried out similar exercise in other Associations across the six states,” he said.
According to him, the gesture was to cushion the effects of the current hardship faced by students especially the poor and vulnerable.
He said, “The reason why we are here is to deliver the message of the Managing Director Mohammed Goni Alkali. He thought it worthy to see how he can bring succour to students especially GOSSA. The issue we are having no is the issue of issue because many can not access the banks to get something to eat.
While urging for effective distribution to the vulnerable especially People With Disabilities (PWDs), the NEDC official said relied on the database provided by GOSSA leadership in making plans.
They know all the people studying across the various institutions and their needs. We sat with them, had a meeting to come up with this strategy to see how we can cover everyone.
“This is just the flagging off but the items we have already handed over to them in the presence of everyone including the security agencies to make sure that these items are not misused but should be used for the purpose they were given,” he added.
Speaking on its endowment fund, he urged students to get abreast of information by deliberately surfing NEDC web, adding that there were enormous opportunities therein.
He added, “there is a unit that the management created to be able to fund education. Currently, the NEDC has built one block of three class rooms in each Local Government across the North-East region furnished with chairs and tables, we provide instructional materials. We are currently training teachers in collaboration with SUBEB, to ensure we don’t just build classes but we build capacity of teachers.
“For the scholarship we are starting with undergraduates now, because we intend to extend it to masters and PhD. We did survey for various levels across the region, we want the management to officially provide the details.”
Also speaking, Staff Adviser of GOSSA, who doubles as Deputy Registrar Malam Sarki Musa lauded the intervention of NEDC, adding that it would solve the challenges faced by the benefiting students for the time being.
He said “The present economic situation of the country the issue of currency swap. The issue of inflation etc. On behalf of GOSSA family at the Gombe State University chapter and the university community, we wish to sincerely appreciate the gesture by the North-East Development Commission (NEDC).”
On his part, National President of GOSSA Adamu Hinna, disclosed that the beneficiaries were carefully selected, adding that the items would be distributed based on the numbers of students.
“We are flagging it off today, and GSU will benefit with 100 students. With 50 earmarked for those with disabilities,” Hinna said.
Responding to question on if the beneficiaries would be strictly for those studying in GSU, Hinna added, “No all other students inclusive, as far as they are indigenes of Gombe. It is two measure of rice, one measure of sugar, one litre of vegetable oil, three leather of spaghetti.
“We constituted a committee first at the national level, we sat with president of GSU, so also other institutions to say look this is what we want to share it so that it can get to the vulnerable students. We are targeting vulnerable students who are sleeping in the classrooms that merely seeing them it is obvious they are in dire need.”
Speaking about the distribution of exercise books the National President said the 10,000 books would be shared across community secondary schools in the state.
“We will go down to our younger ones to be specific like community schools, Almajiri schools, orphanage houses. We have 4,000 – 60 leaves, 6,000 – 40 leaves,” he added.
