President joins Lebanese c’nity to mark 10th anniversary of Lebanese scholarship programme, launches LESAN
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has urged beneficiaries of scholarship programmes to take advantage of the opportunity to expand their studies and make the most of their time at their respective institutions.
That, according to him, would put the beneficiaries in the right capacity to impact the lives of many within their communities, resulting in the needed transformation at both the local and national levels.
President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the 10th anniversary of the Lebanese Community Scholarship Programme and the launch of the Lebanese Scholarship Alumni Network (LESAN) in Accra on Friday.
Initiated in 2014 by the Lebanese Community in Ghana, the Lebanese Community Scholarship Programme aims to provide support for Ghanaian students to obtain higher education at various universities across the country.
President Akufo-Addo expressed his profound gratitude to the Lebanese Community in Ghana for the support it had provided to Ghanaian students since the inception of the scholarship programme adding that “the initiative is a proof of the strong bond that has been existing between Ghana and Lebanon for many years.”
He explained that the scholarship programme by the Lebanese Community in Ghana and the Lebanese Embassy mirrored the importance his government attached to education, culminating in policies such as the Free Senior High School (SHS) and Student Loan Trust Fund policies, aimed at ensuring that all Ghanaians have access to it.
The Lebanese Scholarship Programme, President Akufo-Addo said, was a good example of partnerships that could bring positive change and a model to emulate adding the strong relationship between the two countries would be maintained to benefit other generations.
He said, countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea had made huge progress by wiping out illiteracy and empowering generations of citizens with skills to champion the nation’s development.
The Ambassador of Lebanon to Ghana, Mr Maher Kheir, in his remarks said more than 600 students had been supported under the scholarship programme to pursue higher learning at various tertiary institutions across the country.
He explained that the scholarship programme over the past years have been expanded to include the school of performing arts, film and television, public relations and the introduction of research seminars for post graduate students at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC),
Mr Kheir described students who had been part of the scholarship programme as a symbol of resilience, determination, and a shared responsibility of learning.
He also lauded the vice-chancellors, deans and faculty heads of various universities for their unwavering commitment in providing students with best tuition for them to excel.
Lebanon, Mr Kheir said, looked forward to strengthening the relationship with Ghana through LESAN for greater global impact.
The ambassador expressed gratitude to the Lebanese Community in Ghana, the Scholarship Committee, and other sponsors for the role played in ensuring that the programme kept on running over the last decade.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
