Rivers Denies Alleged Plans to Recall Overseas Scholarship Students

Rivers State Government has said it had no plans to recall students studying abroad under the state's overseas scholarship scheme.

The denial came amidst criticism from parents of some students under the scheme and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who have alleged that the state government had abandoned the students and was in the process of recalling them.

The allegations stated that the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), which runs the scholarship programme, "has given a marching order to students of the state origin to return home when they are yet to start their medical programme (MBBS) for which scholarship was offered, and stoppage of payment of their upkeep with effect from August 2014."

Reacting to the allegations, the Manager, Media and Communication of RSSDA, Mr. Kingsley Uranta, said in a statement issued in Port Harcourt that it was not true that the state was repatriating the students.

The statement said, "As an Agency responsible for the development of qualified manpower for the state, it will be counter-intuitive for us to force our students to return home before the completion of their studies. That will negate the objective of the Scholarship scheme in the first place."

He explained, "Rather, the RSSDA was recently approached by parents of a group of 17 scholars who were among a number of applicants awarded scholarship by the agency to study for first degree in medicine or medically-related courses in 2010.

"Unfortunately, they could not gain admission for medicine after their pre-degree (foundation) programme, and therefore settled for medically-related courses such as Pharmacy, Bio-Medical Sciences and Physiotherapy. The scholars, who have now graduated in these fields with their allowances fully paid to the end of their studies in July 2014, have turned around to demand for fresh sponsorship from the agency to study medicine.

"These medically-related disciplines from which the scholars have qualified are also needed in the healthcare delivery system in the State. Besides, it would only be fair that having benefitted from the State sponsorship for their first degrees, other deserving candidates are given similar opportunity. We have already communicated this position to the scholars and their parents on several occasions."

He stated that since the inception of the governor’s special overseas scholarship scheme, the State, through the RSSDA, had placed about 2,000 deserving young Rivers State men and women in top ranking universities across the world. "By the end of September 2014, nearly 1,000 of them would have fully completed their studies, majority of them with flying colours. The remaining are still in the programme and continue to enjoy the full sponsorship of the Rivers State Government," the statement said.

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