RSSDA Assures On Transparency …As 6,000 Battle For Gov’s Scholarship

The Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) has vowed to ensure high ethical standard in the on-going screening exercise for the 2013/2014 governor’s special overseas scholarship.

The Executive Director of the agency, Mr Noble Pepple, who said this at the weekend while reacting to alleged arrest of  an impersonator at the aptitude test, one Etete Sonye, who claimed to have been sent by his brother to sit for the aptitude test for him, said the agency would not compromise on its standards.

Mr Pepple, who spoke through the General Manager, Human Capital Development, RSSDA, Mr Godwin Poi, said that 10,000 applications were received in respect of the programme, but the number was reduced to 6,700 who later sat for the aptitude test.

He also said that 5000 would be selected at the end of the aptitude test for oral interview at a later date, adding that 160 would be eventually selected for the programme.

Mr Pepple said that since the inception of the governor’s special overseas scholarship in 2008, more than 1,600 have benefited, while more than 300 have graduated from the post-graduate scholarship scheme and returned to the country.

He said that the scheme was part of effort by the Rivers State government to raise the needed manpower for the state in disciplines such as Information and Communication and Technology (ICT), Medicine, Engineering, Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Science, Law among others.

The executive director commended the invigilators and the applicants for adhering to the rules and regulations of the test and urged for it to be sustained.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has been commended for initiating the special overseas scholarship programme.

Across section of applicants who spoke to newsmen shortly after the aptitude test, which took place at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt also described the test as transparent.

They noted that the  programme has helped children from poor homes in the state to acquired education from reputable world class tertiary institutions abroad.

President Goodluck Jonathan (right) with President Dilma Rousseff of the Federative Republic of Brazil,addressing a joint news conference after a bilateral meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja , last Saturday .