13 law students get Lebanese Community support

Thirteen Law students from the faculty of law of the University of Ghana, Legon have received scholarships from the Lebanese Community in a ceremony at the Financial Aid Office at the school’s campus in Accra.

Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana HE Ali Halabi in his address said “ Over the past few years, these annual rituals, through which the Lebanese Community render humanitarian commitment to the people of Ghana, have become a symbol of the strengthening bonds between the peoples of Ghana and Lebanon.

“The Lebanese Community in Ghana recognise the role of a strong and educated human resource base, as a driver of national development. Subsequently, towards making Ghana a better place for all, the community has identified education as one crucial area where they can make an impact.”

He mentioned that the support was a true reflection of the Community’s continuous commitment to the production of a strong human resource base of this nation through education.

The scholarship scheme, which is in its fifth year, covers the full tuition fees, and part of the cost of accommodation for the beneficiaries. And over the course of the past five years, the scheme has funded yearly the undergraduate education of over one hundred students in the University of Ghana, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

Additionally, the scheme has also supported students of the Ghana Law School, as well as post-graduate students at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, a separate scholarship scheme instituted by the Lebanese community, continues to support the education of children of martyrs of the Ghana Armed Forces, as well as children of Ghana’s Police and Immigration services.
The Lebanese Ambassador urged the new and contiuing beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity and ensure that they maintain high academic standards in order to merit futur rewards.
Professor Koffi Quashigah, Dean of the Faculty of Law indicated that “This is an initiative of the Lebanese Community for the past five years based strictly on merit. The Lebanese Ambassador has taken special interest in the student’s academic progress.”

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu told the beneficiaries that “It is not easy at all these days for someone to relieve you of your financial burden like the Lebanese community has demonstrated. I wish all students will have free education, have a tuition free education and have access to bursaries.

“I will make sure that an endowment is in place to take care of all the 38,000 students; that is the trend all over the world now. This is the kind of system we need rather than over relying on government.

“The Lebanese Community have challenged us as an institution and we have to accept it, and to you the beneficiaries, I say ‘to whom much is given…’ you have a duty to yourself, the institution, the nation as potential lawyers who are going to enforce justice, you have to give much to society, your duty is to be honest and truthful l to the cause of national development.”

One of the beneficiary students Kaisier Hillary Engman on behalf of his mates praised the Lebanese Community highly for their continued support and promised to make good use of the opportunity.