Maher Kheir (2nd left), handing over the donation to Nina Sackey
Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, Maher Kheir, has urged actors in the legal industry to stand for vulnerable groups and be the voice of the voiceless in the Ghanaian society.
This, he observes, is the basis for a thriving legal practice that champions human rights, promotes justice and grows democracy.
In his opinion, Ghana’s growing democracy calls for more robust practitioners who will speak truth to power and uphold professional standards to ensure equality and protection of minority groups in society.
He made the remarks when the Lebanese Community awarded scholarships to eight students at the Ghana School of Law for the 2024/2025 academic year.
The ceremony happened in the presence of the Lebanese Ambassador Maher Kheir, the Head of Legal Department at the Ghana School of Law, Nina Sackey, Representative from the Office of the Chief Accountant, Matthias Aidoo Asamoah, Student Affairs Officer, Dr. Georgina Ahorbo, and Representative of the Lebanese Committee among others.
The beneficiaries include Abigail Nakuor Wowolo, Ohenewaa Asantewaa Armoh, Chelsea Coffie, Jasmine Tekyi-Acheampong from Part 2, and Dion Kassim, Emenyo Afi Nutakor, Keren Sackey and Maame Ekua Otenewa Oduro from Part 1.
Ambassador Kheir, in his address, noted that becoming a lawyer is not only about mastering legal texts or passing exams.
“It is about standing for justice. It is about using your voice to defend the voiceless. It is about serving with integrity, even when it’s difficult,” he added.
He challenged students to strive to make a difference in the legal profession and contribute meaningfully to the Ghanaian society.
Ambassador Kheir stressed that the support through the Lebanese Community Scholarship Program forms part of efforts to honour their hard work, while sending a message that “excellence deserves recognition and support.”
Dr. Georgina Ahorbor, Student Affairs Officer at the Ghana School of Law, expressed gratitude to the Lebanese Community for their financial support to students over the years.
“We are very grateful for this sponsorship given to our students. It always goes a very long way to cushion them and their parents while allowing them to focus on their studies. We don’t take it for granted,” she said.
She, however, appealed for more to be done to help reach many more students to access legal education at the school.
One of the beneficiaries, Ms. Otenewa Oduro, thanked the Ambassador and the Community for the generous gesture, and promised that the students will honour the confidence reposed in them.
The Lebanese Scolarship Program has assisted around 600 Ghanaian students in media and law disciplines covering the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Ghana.
However in 2020, Ambassador Kheir expanded the scheme to include students at the School of Languages and the School of Performing Arts, both at the University of Ghana.
More recently, the scheme further expanded to include students of Public Relations, Translation and Film and Television at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC).
The Lebanese Scholarship Program is currently in its 12th year.
A Daily Guide Report