A’Ibom Medical Students Get N250m Grant

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, has approved the release of N250 million as grants for students of the state origin studying medicine in Nigerian universities.

A statement signed by the Deputy Director, Ministry of Information, Mrs Grace Akpan, last Thursday in Uyo said that amount would take care of upward reviews in the allowances of the medical students.

The new package will benefit each pre-clinical student to the tune of N100,000 as against N30,000 collected earlier, while the clinical students will now collect N200,000 each as against the former N50,000.

The statement quoted the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Aniekan Umanah, as explaining that the grants would take care of the students from 2007/2008 session, when Akpabio’s administration came into being.

The commissioner also said that 1,400 medical students would benefit from the grants in 2009/2010 session alone with 500 as pre-clinical students and 900 clinical students.

The statement said that the University of Calabar had total beneficiaries of 557 students on the list and the University of Uyo with 312 students.

The Igbinedion University has 144 beneficiaries on the list, while the University of Port Harcourt has 130 students.

Others are Madonna University, 92 students; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 55, University of Jos, 43 and 28 students in the Obafemi Awolowo University.

Reports says that students of the state origin in law schools were also given grants of N25,000 each, and a laptop computer each.