From Ralph Omololu Agbana, Lokoja

No fewer than 800 students from Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency of Kogi State across public tertiary institutions in the country benefited from the Sunday Steve Karimi Education Foundation/Tinubu Support Group Bursaries disbursed in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi made the disclosure during his engagement with constituents from the constituency in a town hall meeting.

The meeting, held in Kabba, headquarters of Kabbabunu Local Government Area, is part of Senator Karimi’s ongoing consultations across the three federal constituencies in Kogi West. According to him, the series of the Town Hall are aimed at rendering his scorecard in the 10th Senate, promoting unity within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while drumming support for the reelection of President Bola Tinubu and APC candidates in the zone, ahead of the 2027 elections.

Karimi said he awarded scholarships to 1,000 students in 2024 in Kogi West and 3,000 in 2025 across Kogi State. Out of this number, he said no fewer than 800 students of Kabbabunu and Ijumu LGAs origin alone benefited from the scheme at N100,000 per student.

The breakdown shows that 150 students from Kabbabunu and another set of 150 from Ijumu benefited from the 2024 edition, while 500 more—250 students from each of the LGAs benefited in 2025, totalling 800 beneficiaries from that federal constituency within the first two years of the scheme.

He assured that preparations are affoot for the commencement of the 2026 edition, noting that the annual bursary scheme is personally funded and not from constituency projects.

Still on education, Karimi said he also facilitated the building of several schools across Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, and made donations including N10m to Anglican Church Nursing school, Iyara. This is in addition to 3 blocks of classrooms in OdoApe St. Barnabas, and Iluke.

He also sunk solar-powered boreholes in 32 locations across the constituency.

The Senator urged Kogi West people to reciprocate President Tinubu’s commitments to the state with massive votes for him and all APC candidates in 2027.

“President Tinubu has done so much for us in Kogi State, Kogi West in particular. The reward for the good work of Tinubu is to vote massively for him in 2027 in Kogi West and the State as a whole,” he declared.

Highlighting his scorecard, Senator Karimi said his office has prioritized projects with direct impact on communities within the seven local government areas and three federal constituencies.

On water, he said he provided solar-powered boreholes in 30 locations across Kabbabunu/Ijumu Federal constituency to ease access to clean water

In the area of Infrastructure, he said he attracted about N2bn for the repair of Kabba-Egbe road and secured additional N6bn from the Minister of Works to get the contractor to return to site, 11 years after work was abandoned on the road project.

Karimi further stated that he personally funded the reconstruction of Pakuta Bridge linking Aiyegunle Gbede, Kiri Kingdom, Kupa North/South, and parts of Niger State, ending years of economic inactivity and the disconnect of the people from other parts of the region due to the collapsed bridge.

He assured that the ongoing construction of Kabba-Ilorin road was part of efforts to improve transportation and reduce incidents of insecurity within the senatorial district.

On power and empowerment, Karimi listed the provision of transformers to communities and empowerment of 50 cooperative societies within the federal constituency.

The town hall drew a large turnout of APC leaders, former lawmakers, traditional representatives, women and youth leaders, as well as party members from the two LGAs.