Date Published: 02/09/10

Ekiti Govt. gives N20.8 million to oversea scholarship to four Maritime Students

Gov. Oni

Ekiti State Government has awarded scholarship to four indigenes of the State, who are Maritime students to study in Egypt for three years under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme Scholarship Award, the State Governor, Engr. Segun Oni has said.

The students are Adewale Samorgan Tosin, Falodun Bolanle Iyabode, Owoyemi Gbenga Thomas and Faboro Raphael Oluwafemi. Each of them will get a sum of 12,000 US Dollars per annum for the period of three years.

Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Wale Ojo-Lanre said in a statement made available to journalists that Governor Oni, while presenting travelling documents to the students, who were led to the governor by the State Special Adviser on Education, Alhaji Yakubu Sanni today, said 32 students applied for the scholarship and the four candidates were selected on merit.

One overall best student was selected from each of the three senatorial districts in the State while Miss Iyabode Falodun, the only female students among the beneficiaries was selected as the overall best female student among the 32 candidates.

Speaking on why the government decided to give scholarship to the maritime students, Governor Oni said; “In the past, Ekiti people have not shown interest in the maritime sector. But we know that we should be part of it, the same way we already part of the aviation sector. Hence, our decision to extend the scholarship scheme to the maritime sector.

“We deliberately said we should have at least one lady so that it will be clear that the profession is not only for men.

“We have chosen to reward academic excellence by assisting brilliant students in pursuance of their academics and alleviating their financial burden through the scholarship scheme.

“Some of the people that have been here before were deceiving the people, claiming that they were running government like the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. But throughout the period that they were in government, they never had a scholarship not to talk of awarding N1 scholarship.

“But today, we have awarded over 200 scholarships to PhD students. In spite of the global economic meltdown, we also recently awarded N168, 950,000 scholarships to 709 beneficiaries.

“Some people have come to us to say that instead of awarding scholarship that will enable our youths to have a secured future, we will get better political mileage by using the scholarship fund to buy okada and distribute free to the people.

“But my reaction has always been that what we are doing is not to get people to hail us when we move on the streets. What we are concern about is the future of our children and that of the State, and the kind of future that we desire for our people cannot be achieved through distribution of okada to get momentary popularity.”

While reiterating his commitment to the development of education in the State, Governor Oni said; “Successive governments in the State have played politics with the issue of education and by extension the future of our children and that of the State.

“I once met with the past Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) while he was in office. Then, I had not become a governor and I was spending over N20 million annually to procure JAMB forms and organised free coaching for our students. I told Olayisade that he should allow us to do the coaching in the public schools and his response was; ‘Ha! You want to put me into trouble. I know this is a laudable venture, but I know the governor will not allow you to do it in the public schools.’ We now went to private school to do the coaching.”

Thanking the governor for the gesture, Owoyemi Gbenga, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries said; “We thank God for the opportunity that He has given us through you. The State will remember your name in the future and God will glorify you.”