Lebanese community awards scholarships to Legon students

For the third year running, the Lebanese community in Ghana has awarded scholarships to 16 students of the Law Faculty of the University of Ghana, Legon, who distinguished themselves in their academic work in the 2014/2015 academic year.

The scholarship will cover hundred per cent of their tuition fees while part of the students’ accommodation will be covered by the university.

At a ceremony to give the scholarships to the students, the Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Ali Halabi, pledged the Lebanese community’s commitment and unflinching support for the promotion of education in the country, adding that the community, particularly, appreciated the role of lawyers in the development of the nation.

“The law profession is one that permeates all aspects of society and forms the foundation on which any society is grounded. It is for these reasons that the Lebanese community decided to award scholarships to the future legists who will champion the development of their beloved country,” he stressed.

Beneficiaries

Mr Halabi added that the scholarships were based strictly on the academic performance of the beneficiaries and encouraged them to work even harder to qualify for the award again next year.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, implored the beneficiaries not only to live up to the high standards they had set but to justify the trust and confidence reposed in them by their inclusion in the scholarship programme.

He said he was grateful to the Lebanese community in Ghana for sustaining the scholarship programme over the past three years, adding that “this is one of the best things that have happened in this university under my watch.”

The Dean of the Faculty of Law of the university, Prof. Edward Kofi Quashigah, also emphasised the need for the beneficiaries to set themselves apart and uphold their high academic performance, saying: “As a dean, I expect a lot from you, especially those in the final year, as you prepare for your law school entrance exams.”

Gratitudes

Speaking on behalf of the students, Ms Erica Nkrumah, one of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to the Lebanese community for the initiative.

“Our profound gratitude goes to the men and women of the Lebanese community in Ghana who nurtured this dream and have provided millions of cedis each year to successfully implement the programme,” she said.

The scholarship

The scholarship scheme is the brainchild of the Lebanese Embassy and the Lebanese community in Ghana whose trade and business in the country date back many years.

The community has provided over 250,000 job opportunities in the country with a total of over $2 billion of investments in the Ghanaian economy.

As part of their social responsibility, the community last year offered financial assistance to over 100 students in the basic, secondary and tertiary levels of education in Ghana.

Beyond the scholarship, the Lebanese community has also enrolled some of the beneficiaries of the scholarships at the Alliance Francaise – a French learning centre of excellence – with the view to strategically position the students for the job market after their graduation.