The Ebonyi State Scholarship Board has defended Governor Francis Nwifuru’s scholarship programme, saying PDP governorship candidate Ifeanyi Odii needs more facts about its beneficiaries, funding and purpose.
Board Gives Scholarship Figures
Chairman of the Board, Chief Chaka Nweze, said Odii’s recent comments lacked facts and contained what he called “concocted narrations” that could mislead the public.
Nweze, a former chairman of Ohaozara Local Government Area, acknowledged Odii’s recognition of Nwifuru’s investment in education, especially the overseas scholarship programme.
However, he said the public debate must reflect the available records.
“This is a programme funded with public resources and intended for the benefit of Ebonyi people. It is important that the facts are properly stated,” Nweze said.
According to him, 304 Ebonyi students currently study in universities in the United Kingdom, while one student studies in Canada under the overseas programme.
He added that 202 students in the UK have completed their master’s programmes, with about 90 per cent graduating with distinctions.
Meanwhile, many have moved to PhD programmes, while about 101 students still pursue their master’s degrees.
The scholars attend institutions including De Montfort University, Leeds Beckett University, Robert Gordon University, the University of Lincoln and Ulster University.
Over 1,000 Students Receive Scholarships
Furthermore, Nweze said the overseas programme represents only one part of Nwifuru’s education investment.
He said the government has also awarded more than 1,000 scholarships to Ebonyi students studying in Nigerian universities.
“This demonstrates that the policy is not about sending a privileged few abroad but creating educational opportunities for Ebonyi youths across different levels,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state government has previously said its postgraduate scholarship programme targets 1,000 beneficiaries, including 300 for overseas studies and 700 within Nigeria.
Nweze said the key issue should be what Ebonyi gains from the investment.
He said the government was not merely paying school fees but building a pool of engineers, scientists, medical professionals, technology specialists, researchers, data analysts and cyber-security experts.
Board Explains Five-Year Service Rule
Nweze said the value of the programme would continue after the scholars receive their certificates.
He said graduates could return to work in the state civil service, establish businesses, train students, conduct research and develop solutions to local problems.
In response to questions about whether beneficiaries would return to Ebonyi, Nweze said the scholars signed an undertaking with the Ebonyi State Scholarship Board.
He said the agreement requires beneficiaries to return and serve the state for five years through government agencies or institutions.
Furthermore, he said their visas remain tied to the duration and purpose of their academic programmes.
“The policy is therefore not designed simply to send our young people abroad and lose them to other countries but to bring the knowledge back home,” he said.
Nweze Defends Selection Process
Nweze also said the selection process was based on academic merit, equitable representation of local government areas and the established criteria of the Scholarship Board.
However, he challenged anyone questioning the fairness of the process to examine the records from Onicha LGA, where Odii comes from, alongside records from other LGAs.
“I therefore invite anyone interested in establishing whether the process was genuinely inclusive, to examine the beneficiaries from Onicha LGA and the other LGAs rather than rely on assumptions,” he said.
External sources
Ebonyi State Government education programme details
Independent Newspaper report on the scholarship scheme
Recent PDP call for scholarship disclosure
