The Governor of Delta State, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, approved the payment of bursary/scholarship for Students of Delta State origin in various higher institutions all over the country and also 2015/2016, 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 Nigerian Law School(NLS) Students of Delta State origin.

The approval made the Delta State Bursary and Scholarship Board (DSBSB) to forward text messages to 2017/2018 NLS Students of Delta State origin, as Beneficiaries, to attend the screening exercise to verify their details and also enable them receive payments.

During the screening exercise in Asaba, the state's capital, and under media coverage, the Scholarship Board informed the Beneficiaries that they shall receive the sum of one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) each and that shall be effected soonest after the end of the screening exercise.

However, in January, 2019, only Beneficiaries from 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 NLS sets were paid the sum of N100,000 each while Beneficiaries from 2017/2018; who made several efforts to making sure the payment is a reality, were left and one will wonder if they are no longer regarded as Beneficiaries of the said bursary.

"Despite this disappointment from Delta State Government and the Scholarship Board, we the Beneficiaries were still hopeful and kept pushing to ensure that we are finally paid and along the line, we heard from a reliable source that the funds for payment have not been approved by the government as against the assurance the Scholarship Board gave us during the screening exercise.

"The recent development we were fed with was that the funds for the payment has been finally approved by the State Government and it is now left for the commisioner of finance to release the funds so that the Scholarship Board can disburse it to Beneficiaries.

"I know with time, more stories will spring up and in such case, we don't know what and who to believe as regards this matter," a Beneficiary said.

The Delta State Government under the leadership of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has done well in terms of Infrastructures; construction of roads across the twenty-five (25) Local Government Areas of the State; Sports: successful completion of the Stephen Keshi Stadium, successful hosting of the Senior African Athletics Championships, amongst others.

Other areas where the State Government has done so well include payment of salaries: up to date payment of salaries of civil servants; Health: implementation of Universal Health Coverage, Delta State contributory health care scheme and other health programmes.

Also to mention are the areas of Empowerment: disbursements of N835m to 600 entrepreneurship and other groups; Education: accreditation of Law Faculty of Delta State University, providing good learning environments for Students in all the state-owned educational institutions and providing various scholarships/bursaries for Students.

On the area of scholarship and bursary, the state government has been impartial and transparent in awarding scholarships and bursaries to indigenes of the state because right from time, there is no form of segregation which 2017/2018 are bringing to the notice of the government.

"This segregation by the State Government and the Scholarship Board partaining to this bursary has stirred a lot of arguments from the opinion that we have been used for political campaigns which I am strongly against but it has worked a lot of hardship trying to argue otherwise, and it has also caused some persons financial hardship in the long run.

"On receiving the text messages, some of us who were in the northern part of the country and also far away from Delta State had to pay the expensive transport fare in December, 2018, so as to meet up with the screening exercise that was held that same December.

"Some persons spent over thirty thousand naira (N30,000) coming to Delta State and going back to their respective states where they are currently undergoing their one(1) year National Youth Service with the hope that they will receive payment in the month of January, 2019, as earlier promised by the Board.

"At this juncture, we plead passionately with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and Delta State Scholarship Board to remain impartial and transparent with the awarding of bursaries and scholarships by quickening the procedures for the payment of 2017/2018 Beneficiaries, if Okowa cares, he should care on this matter," another Beneficiary said.


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