A Katsina-based philanthropist and stalwart of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Tukur Tingilin, has distributed 300 JAMB forms to indigent candidates in Malumfashi and Kafur Local Government Areas of the state.
Tingilin, who also sponsored 50 students for the National Examination Council (NECO), made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Katsina on Monday.
The philanthropist, who is the Managing Director of the Katsina State Water Board Corporation, said the gesture was aimed at promoting scholarship by making the beneficiaries become productive members of the society.
“The gesture is to also to complement the effort of the state government in education, and also prepare the youths to compete with others across the globe. Apart from the JAMB forms, we have organised training for them, especially on computer literacy which exposed them to computer-based examinations.
“We have put the necessary measures to ensure that they passed the examination and also secure admission in various universities of their choice,” he said.
“Those that cannot afford to pay their school fees after securing the admission, we would pay for them. By next year, through the support of Gov. Dikko Radda, we are hoping to pay for more students that performed better in public examinations,” Tingilin said.
The philanthropist also disbursed N5,000 each to 975 under privileged residents of the areas, and provided blankets to Almajiris across some selected Tsangaya (Islamiya) schools in the area.
According to him, the gesture is initiated by Zanna Foundation, in collaboration with Ash-Shifa Social Development and Health Awareness Group, aimed at promoting self-sustainability.
On his part, Gov. Dikko Radda lauded the groups, describing the intervention as a welcome development, because it is one of the areas his administration has prioritised.
Radda explained that with such initiatives, the APC does not need to go for any campaign during future elections in the state.
He therefore challenged other politicians in the state to emulate such gestures to earn more support from their people. (NAN)
