By Nkem Okere
The United Towns Agency for North South Cooperation (UTA), Nigeria Chapter has taken humanitarian services to a unique level as it gave out two foreign university scholarships to two IDPs in Abuja.
UTA is a United Nations accredited non-governmental organisation that have consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
As part of its humanitarian services to assist the less privileged in the society, the Nigerian chapter of UTA on Friday, handed over letter of admission for full foreign University scholarship to two victims of insurgency in one of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Abuja.
The scholarship which covers their tuition, accommodation, feeding and other sundry expenses is for their four year programme in the University.
The scholarship is achieved with the support of the university, Insitut Superieur Saint Paul de Tarse (ISSPT) based in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
According to the Country President, Princess Abigail Amalaha who led some members of the Board of Trustees and staff of UTA to the event explained that the gestures is UTA’s little way of supporting the intelligent students who found themselves in the camp out of no fault of their own.
She further explained that education is the bedrock of any society, that by educating them, they will become better members of the society, they will be in a better position to take care of their family and other members in the camp who are now looking upon them as role models and worthy ambassadors. She admonished them, that, as ambassadors of their people in a foreign land, they should not disappoint both their people and UTA. They should live an exemplary life over there and always be conscious of their root.
She further stated that these two scholarship are for the pilot test, that more of them will benefit from the scholarship scheme in the next phase.
The beneficiaries are, Miss Yohanna Alheri Kitawa who will study Biotechnology and Mr. Godwin Matthias Gatawa who will study Political Science.
Expressing joy and appreciation, amidst tears, on behalf of the family of the recipients and the IDPs, the camp chairman, Mr Philemon Emmanuel stated that their joy knows no bound. He says that this type of gesture is what they have been expecting from the government. He further explained that they have been in that camp since 2014 with little or no tangible support from the various state or federal government.
He urged other well meaning Nigerians and NGOs to emulate the good work of UTA. He wondered why the government will be more interested in rehabilitating the Boko Haram members where as they that are victims of the Boko Haram are left to their faith. What an irony of life.
The high point of the handing over ceremony of the admission letters is the feeding of the children at the camp and handing over of gift to them by the UTA team.
