Date Published: 01/20/10

Scholarship scandal rocks PTDF again

Anyone that attend the 2009/2010 induction programme for overseas scholars knows that the scholarship body is in big trouble. The programme was poorly organized with many scholars crowding around the Univation team that came from the UK in search of their admission letter that never came. Such group of scholars were told by PTDF to defer their scholarship to year 2010 to allow time for PTDF to secure admission for them.

The news now is that PTDF has cancelled those scholarships without any reason. Why would PTDF cancel the scholarship of bonafide scholars while those that didn’t even sit for the aptitude test were invited for the induction programme and are presently in the UK. I know of someone from the northern part of the country that didn’t sit for the aptitude test but he was invited for the induction programme and  is presently studying MSc satellite and communications Engineering at the University of Surrey on PTDF scholarship. PTDF committed double crime in respect of this student: 1. He is not qualified for the scholarship. 2. Satellite and communications engineering is not among PTDF approved list of MSc courses. PTDF must break its silence over this issue. Nigerians want to know what happen to those cancelled scholarships.

The Nigerian media houses (both news and print media) are also guilty over this issue because ever since the cancellation palaver surfaced in November, none of them has taken up the executive secretary of PTDF about the issue. This issue is of national importance and I would like them to conduct interview with PTDF executive secretary ENGR. Muttaqha Rabe Darma on this issue. This issue is as important as president Yaradua’s health because the affected scholars has been subjected to mental and emotion torture. I believe they will equally be admitted in a Saudi hospital if they have the money to travel there.

Violence has erupted again in Jos. I know some people will blame it on religion. Religion is not to blame because both Muslims and Christians have always lived together peacefully in JOS before the political entity called Nigeria was born. Violence do erupt due to anger resulting from several years of perceived injustice and oppression both real and imaginary. This PTDF action if not reversed, has the potential of making the affected scholars feel humiliated and oppressed. They may extend this feeling to thinking that since northerners dominate PTDF management team, the north is an unjust, dominating and oppressive political power. This is not good for the unity and stability of this country. Therefore, PTDF should not use its mandate of developing indigenous manpower for the oil and gas industry as an instrument of cracking the rotten egg called Nigeria. Should it happen, who’ll survive its pungent smell?

nene rahman