The Rivers state government has revealed that it can no longer sustain the overseas scholarship to benefactors of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) and has therefore planned to withdraw students who are schooling abroad. This information was provided to parents by Ominim Jack who is the acting executive director of RSSDA and the commissioner of agriculture in Port Harcourt Daily Post reports that the commissioner told the parents that the current economic situation made it impossible for the sustenance of the overseas scholarship scheme but the state planned to return the students back to Nigeria to continue with their education. She said the students who would still be on full scholarship would either be transferred to the University of Port Harcourt or the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. She said: “I want to first of all let you know that the Governor, Nyesom Wike takes the education of our students very seriously. Today, we have to be realistic. We all know what is happening in Nigeria. We now have a dwindling revenue both from FAC and IGR. We all know our exchange rates. “We are here to give a proposal to let you know that the state is committed to pay installmentally for all our final year students totalling almost 200. “We are putting arrangements in place for students who are not in their final year to get transfer back to schools in Nigeria, especially in Rivers state with full scholarships.” Daily Post reports that the news was greeted with dissatisfaction from the parents of the students studying overseas. They pleaded with the governor to find ways to sustain the scholarship. A parent said: “My child is studying in Canada. But how can somebody who is in her 3rd year now return to Nigeria just like that? The curriculum can never be the same. We do not agree with the proposal of governor Wike.” Another added : “For almost one year now, the state government has stopped paying the students their allowance. And we have been taking responsibility for that. We won’t mind to continue but the government should just pay the school fees. It is a very bad decision to withdraw all the students and place them in schools in Port Harcourt. The Governor should not do that.”

Stopping or allowing the continuity of the scholarship programme is a government's decision. However, the government should make sure that those already in the programme round-off their studies and graduate. If not that Nigeria is rife with unexposed men as leaders, they would have known that government sponsorship of youth education is not a new thing nor absurd. In Sweden, I was baffled at how Swedish government sponsors the (all-inclusive) education of the youth. Every (Swedish) youth has got a free education up till the university level. Not only that, but with a nice accommodation plus an option of monthly loan! If only our government should channel the money being embezzled into such a venture, our society will be better of. It takes a futuristic leader to see and do these. Little wonder our leaders of old upheld the government scholarship programme. Lastly, if investing in education of the youth becomes inconsequential then investing in amoury will become imminent!

so wat did he do wit all the moni he borrowed abi is it for road construction and our road is still not finished after how many months...I just dey luk dey laugh

do u mean that the #30billion he borrowed was for oppression know port holes.

If this action was taken by an APC Governor, most especially Aregbeshola. Well make i just siddon here dey wait for FP...

Some families should start thinking of funding the remaining years some still have over there because once the government stops financing their children there is nothing anyone can do!

Pavore9:
Some families should start thinking of funding the remaining years some still have over there because once the government stops financing their children there is nothing anyone can do!

why would u say that? where do u expect parents to get the money?

Delphi:
Stopping or allowing the continuity of the scholarship programme is a government's decision. However, the government should make sure that those already in the programme round-off their academic programmes/graduate. If not that Nigeria is rife with unexposed men as leaders, they would have known that government sponsorship of youth education is not a new thing nor absurd. In Sweden, I was baffled at how the government sponsors the (all-inclusive) education of the youth. Every (Swedish) youth has got a free education up till the university level. Not only that, but with a nice accommodation plus an option of monthly loan! If only our government should channel the money being embezzled into such a venture, our society will smile at it. It takes a futuristic leader to do these. Little wonder our leaders of old upheld the government scholarship programme. Lastly, if investing in education of the youth becomes inconsequential then investing in amoury will become imminent!

you are right sir!

alberson:


why would u say that? where do u expect parents to get the money?

It is rather painful but that is the sad reality. Our politicians are like weather, you have no hold on them. A governor who is screaming dwindling revenue as an excuse will see nothing wrong in misappropriating state funds to maintain his political machinery. Should I have a family member amongst those on scholarship l will rally other family members to see that he or she graduates there before returning as against transferring them to the schools in the state. I know it is not easy but they say where there is will, there is way.

200 students and u can't sustain their fees abroad? Meanwhile more than a thousand kano students are enjoying scholarship abroad

Pavore9:


It is rather painful but that is the sad reality. Our politicians are like weather, you have no hold on them. A governor who is screaming dwindling revenue as an excuse will see nothing wrong in misappropriating state funds to maintain his political machinery. Should I have a family member amongst those on scholarship l will rally other family members to see that he or she graduates there before returning as against transferring them to the schools in the state. I know it is not easy but they say where there is will, there is way.

you made a point though but in this issue, wike took the family by surprise.

alberson:



you made a point though but in this issue, wike took the family by surprise.

Like l said earlier, Politicians are like weather!

Looking for who to blame for this.

He is right, they should transfer all of them to Rivers State University.

otokx:
He is right, they should transfer all of them to Rivers State University.

you are wrong, there should be a continuity in our government.