By Ike Uchechukwu

In an effort to ameliorate the sufferings of the less privileged, the Coco-Bassey Foundation has empowered over 5,000 pupils and students with books, uniforms, scholarships and other educational materials in Cross River state.

The empowerment programmes for students in various schools were carried out simultaneously yesterday in the three senatorial districts of the state.

Speaking with Vanguard shortly after the programme, the Chairman of the foundation, Mkpang Coco-Bassey disclosed that the foundation has carried out various empowerment programmes in its bid to bring succour to school children and parents facing different challenges in pursuit of academic excellence.

His words: “It is valuable to educate children for they are the future of a Nation. A well-educated generation will produce engineers, teachers, doctors, scientists, political leaders, etc that will develop a sustainable society where job opportunities created will be utilized.

“Also, proceeds used to take care of our fathers and mothers when they are old while putting bread and butter on the table of each family and their households

“This is the vision that has motivated this foundation to reach out to many on this faithful day with the goal of conducting a yearly empowerment programme which will include the presentations of scholarships, Payment of exams fees and school fees for primary and secondary schools respectively.

“Payment for school uniforms as part of scholarships Presentation of exercise books and other writing materials including- pencils, rulers to all students. Presentation to teachers (teacher’s notes) to support their schedule towards teaching and presentation of school bags to all the students”.

Speaking further, he noted that the intervention has come to stay, and it will be at the forefront of the foundation’s activities.

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“Our next initiative will include the presentation of desktop computers and laptops to each public school since E-learning has become even more pertinent for diversified learning, owing to the constant evolution and the recent pandemic that rocked the world”.

“Education, be it in the four walls of an institution or a skill acquisition centre, facilitates learning to kick-start a life of relevance which is a much-needed survival tool in today’s world.

“The Coco-Bassey Foundation is a major proponent of education and has deemed fit to award scholarships and educational empowerments to the three senatorial districts of Cross River State.

Mr. Coco-Bassey, however, pledged to involve local and foreign support in developing the educational sector in Cross-River State.

“I will also expand the programme to accommodate the rehabilitation of existing classroom structures and subsequently build new ones in the coming future,” he said.

On her part, The Deputy Head Teacher of Ishie Primary School, Roseline Okon, lauded the foundation for its magnanimity and called on other groups to emulate Coco-Bassey Foundation in ameliorating the challenges faced by school children and their parents in the state.

Vanguard News Nigeria