Borno govt offers scholarship to 300 orphans

The Borno State Government has released N300 million as scholarship grant for 300 orphans of Civilian Joint Task Force volunteers who died while fighting insurgents in the state.

The volunteers were involved in fighting Boko Haram and ISWAP side by side with the Nigerian military and other security agencies in Borno as most of them died during counter-insurgency operations.

Speaking on Friday, the Borno State Commissioner for Education, Abba Wakilbe, said the grant was to enable the orphans acquire education and build a better future.

Wakilbe stated that the guardians of the orphans would determine the school each of the children would attend.

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“The Borno State Scholarship Board will pay the respective schools directly for tuition, books and uniforms while what is left will be transferred directly to the account of the benificiaries to be used as upkeep allowance,” the commissioner disclosed.

Also speaking, the Director Legal Drafting, Ministry of Justice, Yagana Gazali, said the guardians would sign a bond form to sustain the education of the benificiaries.

One of the guardians, Bagana Bakura, lauded the Borno State Government for the lifetime support to the orphans, noting that the children would grow and become meaningful citizens.

“Governor Babagana Zulum has restored our hope for the children and this shows that the sacrifices made by the fallen heroes was not in vain,” Bakura said.

The Star