BEN EKE AND STUDENTS UNIONISM...

~ Bursary, a yardstick to cushion the effect of school hardship.

Preamble:

The university campus is a universal environment where people of all works of life come together in pursuit of their various academic endeavours. This goes with different characteristics of people in relation to their various backgrounds.

The academic pursuit does not go down well without hitches and of course happy and sad moments as the case may be. Therefore students usually appreciate the need for urgent and "awoof" cash as it serves as a "messiah" to reduce the hardships on a typical Nigerian campus especially those in the dormitory and indigent students, remember hungry is a respecter of no man!

Hence the introduction of bursary payments and grants by various government agencies, NGOs and personalities became a saving grace to assist the students no matter how little, it motivates and encourages.

We all can agree that "money" puts smiles on our faces especially when it comes as a privilege. Little wonder why the various students' organizations and leaderships always places amongst their demands the need for payment of bursary to deserving students.

Hence it is worthy of note that we appreciate and encourage governments, NGOs and individuals who has painstakingly decided to put smiles on the faces of students through bursary payments and other students empowerment programmes as the case may be.

BEN EKE AND STUDENTS UNIONISM IN AHOADA EAST LGA.

As a stakeholder in the students sector, a comrade who has held several positions in and around the students environment though retired but not tired, it will be ill of me if I do not appreciate the contributions so far made by the Executive Chairman of Ahoada East Local Government Area, Rivers State Hon. Barr. Ben Eke in the educational sector of Ahoada East Local Government Area.

Before I proceed, I wish to beg that we throw away all forms of anger, grudges, party sentiments and reason together as like minds, with this we'll surely make head way.

Dear comrades, I believe we all know that the performance of a leader is based on a superior authority at the center "Leadership is not easy. Some leaders are only there to implement the position of their overbearing subordinates" - Distinguished Senator Osinakachukwu Ideozu .

While I would not digress into the achievements and awards of Hon. Barr. Ben Eke in the educational sector since his inception as the council boss, the purpose of this write up is to appreciate him on the recent payment of bursary to deserving students of tertiary institutions including post graduates and reiterate on the need to sustain the wave hence ask for more.

This has become the Ben Eke's culture of distribution of scarce resources to the area of governance that needs such attention though criticized for not putting much infrastructures on ground but his human capacity development is top notch as a lot of people including non indigenes and members of the opposition parties are on the payroll of the council. Ben believes, it is Ahoada East money therefore whether you are a non indigene or opposition party but resident in Ahoada East, such person is entitled to the largess, little wonder why he is nicknamed "Ben Pay"

Last academic session, students smiled home with alerts from the council as bursary payments, such tempo has been maintained as he has done same this academic session and has promised to do it until he leaves office.

While I will always advocate for more attention on the students as youths, I will not fail to commend this kind gesture because as a one-time students leader who has experienced hardship in the four walls of the academia and still experiencing, I make bold to appreciate this move and hope it is sustained.

Dear comrades, no one is ever perfect, there is always room for constructive criticism, this makes a government better by making necessary adjustments. With our numerous wealth of experiences as stakeholders in this struggle, the students of Ahoada East will always be grateful for people like you and I.

Thank you Hon. Barr. Ben Eke for listening to the plight of the students in this regard and we hope you'll continue to do more.

Aluta Continua!
Victoria Ascerta!

Thank You!

Eric-Okpara Agwenitani Primus "Sharpillo"
Aluta Golden Pen.