…Says it’s a way to encourage education
Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt
All is now set for the commencement of bursary payment to all students of Eleme extraction across tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
These were the words of the Executive Council Chairman of Eleme Local Governnment Area in Rivers State, Chief Obariollormate Ollor while receiving report of the scheme from the Bursary Committee in Eleme.
The Chairman who said though the exercise has been abandoned for over ten years, posited that his administration intends to resuscitate it and even improve upon it despite economic crunch in the country.
“For us to pay bursary, we must keep in sight the current economic realities in the country, so if we must pay bursary it has to be reasonable.
“We therefore thank the Governor for recovering some oil wells from other states, which consequently boosted our allocation. The bursary is equally a way to encourage and sustain the prevailing peace in Eleme Council Area,” he explained.
Ollor said his administration does not believe in the ideology of diverting money meant for work at the expense of the people, noting that the bursary will at least pay some bills for the benefitting students.
The Chairman stressed that government should reward peace and good conduct instead of miscreants and criminality. He noted that the primary function of any government is to protect lives and property and that is what his administration is doing.
Relying on the fact that he was President of Onne students, the Council Chairman said that has made it incumbent on him to assist students as a leader.
Based on that, he announced that the sum of N50,000 will be paid to 1,385 undergraduate students of Eleme extraction shortlisted by the Bursary Committee. He added that in due course, the post-graduate students will be captured in the scheme.
Chief Ollor said payment will start from October 1st, 2022, pointing out that the report will be referred to the House Committee on Finance of Eleme Legislative Assembly and Executive Assistant for review, who will in turn submit it to the Finance and General Purpose Committee (F&GPC) before final ratification.
He urged the students to be more committed to their studies to reciprocate government’s gesture.
Earlier while submitting the report to the Council Chairman, the Eleme Students Bursary Committee Chairman, Hon. Peter Nton-Obari Chutte said his Committee after doing a thorough screening of the over 1,875 accredited students, came up with a total of 1,385 as genuine number of Eleme students across the tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
He thanked the Executive Council Chairman for deeming them necessary to serve the people in this capacity.