Following the reports by the PUNCH Newspapers, the Academic Staff Union of Universities has endowed a N1.6 million scholarship to Maryam Umar, a Person Living With Disability.
Also, the union provided Umar with a laptop, specialised table and chair, voice recorder and an additional N130,000 per semester to offset feeding, transport and other academic expenses.
Umar was born armless but her story became prominent when Sunday PUNCH featured her pleading for registration fees after she secured admission into Gombe State University.
ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, lauded PUNCH for bringing the plight of the indigent student to the limelight, noting that after an investigation into Umar’s background, the union decided to assist her.
Represented by Zonal Coordinator, Bauchi Zone, Prof Lawal Abubakar, the ASUU president said, “ASUU National got the information and directed the chairperson, ASUU GSU, to investigate and confirm the information.
“This was after the news was sighted in PUNCH Newspapers. Information was instantly verified to be true and the ASUU National promised to make Maryam Umar its daughter and shoulder all the responsibilities of her studies.
“ASUU National Scholarship covers feeding, transport and academic allowance, including her yearly registration fees for the period of her studies. We granted scholarship to her to the tune of N1,680,000 (one million, six hundred and eighty thousand naira) covering the four-year period of her studies.”
Also speaking, the Chairperson of GSU branch, Dr Suleiman Jauro, urged PWDs not to give up on themselves, adding that they should draw inspiration from Umar, who refused to give up.
