UNILORIN Students’ Union donates N2m to sick members

The University of Ilorin Students’ Union, under the aegis of Babatunde Lukman Foundation, has donated N2.4 million to five students of the institution with various health challenges.

The Dean, Student Affairs of the university, Prof. Lanre Ajibade, who announced the donation on Monday in the school, said the beneficiaries were down with major and minor sicknesses. Ajibade said that the financial support was for the 2020/2021 session, adding that the gesture was meant to assist them to offset their medical expenses.

He said that the foundation was created in 2013 to provide financial assistance to students with serious health-related issues.

He said that over the years, the foundation had helped at least 20 students across various faculties in the university with millions of naira.

He said: “Today, the University of Ilorin Students’ Union, with the support of Babatunde Lukman Foundation, has donated the money to those, who are either sick or involved in accident.

He listed the beneficiaries as Adelekun Ifeoluwa, Department of Home Economics, who got over N1 million for hip replacement and Jeremiah Oluwakemi, Department of Educational Technology, N455,000 for Chemotherapy and Radiography.

Also, Miss Esther Falodun, Department of Accounting got N436,800 for treatment of injury sustained in an accident and Ogundare Samuel, Department of Educational Technology, an accident victim got N119,000.

He said that Taiwo Grace of the Department of Agriculture, a Diabetic patient, got N8,000.

Ajibade said the money was sent to the beneficiaries’ Bank accounts.

He said that students seeking financial assistance would have sought medical attention from the University Health Centre, which must confirm that they were in need.

“However, such beneficiaries will only get 70 per cent of the total medical bill after approval.

“In all these processes, the Staff Adviser, Level Adviser and colleagues of the beneficiaries and Director of the University Health Centre are involved.

“They make recommendations before any assistant is rendered,” Ajibade said.

He, however, said the foundation would not attend to a medical challenge that did not pass through the university.

In a remark, Mr Balogun AbdulHakeem, the President, Department of Educational Technology Students Association, who spoke on behalf of the victims, expressed gratitude to the union for the donation.

AbdulHakeem also thanked the university management and Students Affairs Unit for the assistance.