Not less than 179 law students and new lawyers of Kwara State indigents have been granted N100,000 worth of scholarship each, after an online application process and verification that lasted for weeks.
According to a statement released on Saturday 11th January, 2020, by the State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu, the payment was made straight to the account of the beneficiaries after thorough screenings.
The statement confirmed that payments were made in two batches. The first batch comprised 68 backlog of students who are still in the law school as against the 89 who initially applied. While the second batch involved 111 lawyers of Kwara State origin that were called to the bar last year November.
“The verification process in the first batch saved the government N2.1million as 21 of the original 89 applicants were screened out on various grounds. Some of them have graduated from law schools, some are non- Kwarans and about seven of them are neither Kwarans nor in law schools. The successful applicants were paid late December, 2019,” she said.
“On Friday 10 January, 2020, the government concluded the second batch by paying (N100,000 each) to 111 law school graduates who were recently called to bar after an online and physical verification duly monitored by all the stakeholders.”
The government also saved N5.8million as only 111 of the 169 on the approved list survived the screening exercise.
Meanwhile, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRaz commended Barrister Yunusa AbdulMutallab, one of the beneficiaries, who was twice credited during the exercise due to network glitches but voluntarily returned the extra payment of N100,000 to the ministry.
“His action is quite inspiring and reassuring that this state has a bright future. The governor hereby commends this fine, learned gentleman for his honesty and contentment. “We are in fact proud of him and wish him success in all of his endeavours,” he noted.
