Rivers Spends N.5bn On Varsity Scholarship

The Rivers State Government says it has so far disbursed the sum of N579,761,040 as bursaries to Rivers students in tertiary institutions between the 2008 and 2011 sessions.

A breakdown of the figures shows that Rivers State resident doctors and law students received the sum of N114,150,000 while the remaining N356,811,040 was paid to other students across the various institutions in the country.

The chairman of the Rivers State Scholarship Board, Dr Elechi Amadi, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in his office, said that the resident doctors and law students received the sum of N150,000 each.

According to the board chairman, 241 Law students benefitted from the scheme in 2008/2009 session, 250 students benefited in 2009/2010, while 121 law students benefited in the 2010/2011 sessions.

Similarly 146 resident doctors benefited from the scheme in the 2009/2010 academic session.

Dr Amadi however said that the drop in the number of law students who benefited from the scheme in the 2010/2011 session did not reflect the number of law students of Rivers State origin in that session, as the batch that were supposed to benefit in October 2010/2011 was not forwarded to the board in time, and therefore not captured in the current payment.

The chairman who commended the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for the gesture, charged the beneficiaries to use the money judiciously.

Similarly, the board’s secretary, Mr Sam N. Deekue urged those who have not received their bursaries in the current bursary payment to remain calm as everything is being done to ensure that they benefit from the scheme. He urged them to check their names on the list posted on the board’s notice board.