LG Supports 64 Nursing Students

Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has offered financial assistance to 64 indigent students studying nursing in tertiary institutions across the country.

Addressing newsmen recently at Izzi, Ebonyi, the chairman of the council, Chief Dunstan Nwogbaga, said the assistance was for the 2011/12 academic session.

Nwogbaga said the students were given N30,000 each for each academic session to meet their financial needs.

He said the programme started with 22 students in 2009, adding that the number had risen to 64 because of the increased interest of youths of the area in the vocation.

“The most encouraging aspect is that males have shown tremendous interest in the vocation.”

The chairman said that 20 indigent students studying professional courses such as medicine, law and engineering in various institutions in the country were also given N50,000 each per session.

“We assist law students with the sum of N250, 000 each to offset their tuition fees and N15,000 each for their call-to-bar fees.”

According to him, 1,560 indigent students benefit from the council’s various scholarship programmes.

He said the council distributed 65 ‘nap sack’ spraying machines to farmers during the last farming season.

“We also planted 115 palm seedlings across the council and more than 1,000 tree species to serve as wind breakers.

“We also collaborate with the state Agricultural Development Programme to buy and distribute fertilisers to farmers at highly subsidised prices.’’

Nwogbaga said the council regularly provided stipends to vigilante groups in the area to check security threats, while equipping them adequately for efficient services.

“Though we do not own a football club of our own, we assist various football clubs as well as other sportsmen and women to keep them busy while ensuring that they shun criminal activities.’’

Our correspondent reports that most of the road projects embarked on by the council are still at the grading stage.

The council chairman promised that they would be completed soon.

Mr Oliver Lebara, an indigene of the area, called on the council’s leadership to help in extending infrastructure development to other parts of the state.

This, he said, would ensure accessibility to the council headquarters and enable the people to feel the impact of democratic governance.