President Jonathan Task Beneficiaries of Bayelsa Scholarship Scheme to Brace Up

saint mienpamo reports  10 September 2012
President Goodluck Jonathan has called on the 250 beneficiaries of the Bayelsa State Restoration Secondary Schools Scholarship Scheme to brace up to the challenges they will encounter in course of their studies. The President made the call at the Send-Forth Ceremony organized by the state government for the latest beneficiaries of the scheme at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa. According to him you will meet challenges but do not be intimidated. “You will surmount your problems if you work hard“President Jonathan stressed. He used the forum to announce that he will support the scholarship initiative of the state government with a promise that he will be personally involved in soliciting the support of well-meaning Bayelsans as well as others to assist students complete their tertiary education if they perform excellently in their secondary school careers. Commending the state government for sustaining the scholarship scheme from his time as Governor of the state, the President noted that he was also a beneficiary of a post-primary scholarship and urged the beneficiaries to make the best out of it.
In his remarks, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state charged the beneficiaries to exhibit positive traits and work hard to justify government’s goodwill. According to the Governor, “you need to work hard to achieve success and play by the rules”.
He warned them to desist from tendencies that are inimical to their educational growth noting that they are the future leaders of the state. Expressing appreciation to President Goodluck Jonathan for his support and commitment to the educational advancement of the state, Governor Dickson said his administration is building on the solid foundation laid by the administration of Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan while they were governors of the state. While pledging government’s commitment to sustain the scholarship scheme, Hon Dickson stated that the scholarship scheme will be reviewed regularly in line with the manpower requirements of the state. He disclosed that out of the two hundred and fifty beneficiaries, fifty slots were allocated to students Ijaw speaking parts of Edo, Rivers, Delta, Akwa-Ibom and Ondo states. “Ten chances each will be given to these states made up of five boys and five girls each” he remarked.
Governor Dickson also announced that three hundred post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries have been carefully selected by government for further studies adding that special consideration was given to those who applied for PhD studies. In his welcome address, the Bayelsa state Commissioner for Education, Hon. Salo Adikumo said the selection of the beneficiaries was done to ensure that only under privileged pupils were listed in the scheme. Hon. Adikumo explained that the beneficiaries were increased to two hundred and fifty students to accommodate students from Ijaw speaking areas of some neighbouring states, stated government has also listed three hundred persons for post-graduate scholarships.