… Releases N400m For Bursary

The Delta State Government says it has released N400 million for the payment of the 2012 bursary for students of the s te in various institutions of higher learning across the country.

Prof. Hope Eghagha, the Commissioner for Higher Education, revealed this in an interview with newsmen in Asaba.

He said the beneficiaries, who had been cleared by their schools, would start receiving the allowances in the next few days, adding that approval was given for 28,000 beneficiaries for 2012.

Eghagha said the same number of students benefitted from the scheme in 2011, adding that the government also had a scholarship scheme for undergraduates, master’s and doctoral degree students.

He said the aim of the government was to develop the human capital needed in the state. Gvemments belief in education as a vehicle for developing the human minds made it to establish four more polytechnics, bringing the number in the state to seven.

Eghagha explained that the new polytechnics were yet to take-off because government did not want them to operate in temporary sites.

“Our new polytechnics have not taken off because we want to do away with temporary sites by building educational centres of excellence.

“We want to build 21st century institutions that can attract anybody in the world to come and study in them.”

Eghagha said the projection of the ministry in the next three years was to breed and train manpower that could compete with their contemporaries outside the country.

He said the ministry would encourage graduates to develop personal skills, disclosing that a proposal on it was in the process of being sent to the House of Assembly for consideration.

He hinted that graduates of the programme would be provided with funds to begin their enterprises.