Tamale, Nov 12, GNA- The Gbanzaba Foundation, a social organization, on Wednesday presented 3.42 million cedis cash to nine students of the Ghana Secondary School in Tamale who excelled in various fields of learning at the school.

The award is for brilliant but needy students; students of academic excellence; outstanding sports personality of the year; and the student of good behaviour.

Madam Salamatu Alhassan and Mrs Selma Valcourt, daughters of the late Mr Alhassan Gbanzaba, the first Northern University graduate, established the Foundation two years ago in memory of their father.

Masters Abubakari Iliasu and Aswada Sahifuru, who received the award for academic excellence, are both students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology studying computer engineering.

Mr Mohammed Saani Abdul-Rahaman, Headmaster of the School, commended the Foundation for the wonderful work it was doing, saying, "if a lot more philanthropists can come to the aid of brilliant but needy students, the standard of education in the North would greatly improve". He said the award scheme should serve as an incentive to the students to study hard to achieve greater laurels.

Mr Yahaya Seidu, legal adviser to the Foundation appealed to scholars in the North to emulate the daughters of the late Gbanzaba by setting up similar schemes to assist students.

He urged prominent personalities in the North to learn to sacrifice and help others to rise up.

Mr Seidu told the students that the only way they could achieve their academic ambitions was to be disciplined, hardworking and taking their studies seriously.