By Ikpechukwu Ojobor

NSUKKA – THE 2018 graduating students of Covenant University, Otta Ogun state has donated over 400 textbooks each, to NYSC and schools across 14 states.

Mr Ebenezer Ama, the team leader of the students group that visited Enugu stated this on Thursday while donating about 400 textbooks on different subjects to Nsukka Community Secondary School, Nsukka.

Ama, who did not disclose the amount of the educational materials donated, said that their aim was to achieve inclusive and equitable quality education for all.

“As 2018 graduating students of the Covenant University, our collective goal is aimed at achieving inclusive, equitable and quality education for all.

“This requires increasing efforts, especially for vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities, indigenous people, refugee children and poor children in rural areas,” he said.

He said that they were grouped into 14 categories to visit and donate over 400 textbooks each to different schools so as to provide for students who could not afford to get books for their learning activities in schools.

Ama noted that the project called ‘Book Drive’ was one of the major Community Development Project of the University’s prospective 2018 graduating students.

Mr Daniel Ojinaka, Secretary of the Team, said that the Project was in line with the fourth goal of the 17 United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, which seek to improve quality education.

Ojinaka stressed that to be part of Nation Builders, the 2018 graduating class saw the need to take up a project that has one of the Sustainable Development goals as their focus.

He explained that `Book Drive’ campaign involves the process of gathering current textbooks on various subjects from individuals, families, churches, and other organizations that are willing to support the drive.

“The recipients include, primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools in 14 states of the Federation.

“Nsukka Community Secondary School Library benefited from the donation while another 400 textbooks were donated to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Agwu Local Government Area, who in turn will deliver them to schools that are in dire need of such materials,” he said.

The secretary listed the states that benefited from the project to include, Abia, Benue, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Kaduna, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers States and Federal Capital Territory.

In his remarks, Mr Ignesuis Oluka, Principal, Community Secondary School, Nsukka, described the ‘Book Drive Campaign’ as the youths bringing the change they needed to reality.

Oluka added that it was a thing of joy for him and all the teachers in the school, as the future which everyone has been speaking of has come to reality and thanked the donors for carrying out the project.

Miss Ihuoma Ugwu, who spoke on behalf of the students, expressed joy over the presentation of the book, adding that the books would help the students and teachers immensely.