SEVENTY students from various schools in the Sekyedumase area in Ashanti have benefited from a scholarship scheme by the community.

A total of ?9.4 million will be disbursed during the remaining period of the academic year.

The only scholarship at the tertiary level went to Mr. Alexander Osei Mensah, currently reading B.Sc Administration at Legon.

Fifteen students from the Sekyedumase Senior Secondary School, who benefited from the scheme will receive ?100,000 each term for three years.

At the JSS level, a total of 54 pupils (nine from each of the six schools in the locality) were also mentioned as beneficiaries of the scheme.

The schools are the Local Authority JSS, SDA JSS, Presby JSS and the Bruce Modern JSS at Sekyedumase. Others are the Frante JSS and the Drobon JSS.

The monies will be disbursed through the Sekyedumase Rural Bank.

The police chief, Inspector Owusu Mensah, who is also secretary to the scheme, announced the package at an Easter meeting of the people, explaining that the continued enjoyment of the offer would depend on sustained academic performance and conduct of the beneficiaries.

The scholarship scheme, managed by a seven-member Board of Trustees headed by Col. Anane Brobbey, head of Legal Directorate of the Ghana Armed Forces, was instituted last November by the chief of the town, Nana Antwi Boasiako.

The scheme follows the establishment of a ?200 million Education Fund in April 2001 to mark the installation of the chief of Sekyedumase.

Meanwhile, citizens of Sekyedumase resident in London have contributed ?1,060 and $100 to the Education Fund.

The said donation is in response to an appeal by the chief, Nana Antwi Boasiako, to citizens home and abroad to contribute to the fund with a view to attaining higher educational standards in the district.

Dr. Akwasi Badu, a native of Sekyedumase domiciled in Accra, also donated assorted books to the local SSS at the Easter conference.

In a related development, the Sekyedumase Rural Bank has awarded scholarships to six pupils in the locality as its contribution towards raising standards of education.

The bank also presented 40 dual desks estimated at ?2 million to the Sekyedumase Presby Primary School to supplement 20 dual desks supplied by the Sekyedumase Scholarship Scheme at ?1 million.

The provision of the dual desks qualifies the school for a ?165 million European Union (EU) project which involves the construction of a three-classroom block and two staff bungalows.