The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has urged students under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) scholarship scheme to be shining examples in their universities of study.
Ribadu gave the charge at the orientation programme for 1,700 scholarship beneficiaries deployed in various Nigerian institutions by the PAP for the 2024/2025 academic session in Warri, Delta State, on Friday, December 6, 2024.
Ribadu, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Niger Delta, Goodluck Ebelo, urged the students to take full advantage of their sponsorship to acquire higher education and contribute to national growth and development after graduation.
The NSA told the students that expectations concerning their academic journey were high as he enjoined them to be well-behaved throughout the duration of their courses of study.
He said: “With this scholarship given to you, you have a huge opportunity to excel in your studies.
“Please, be shining lights in your different institutions of study and the expectation is that you will be very good students of this country.”
Speaking, the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, said the deployment of the beneficiaries signified a consolidation of the Niger Delta human resources base through the scholarship scheme.
Otuaro said formal education was a critical component of the PAP’s intervention aimed at creating opportunities for the youths of the region, particularly indigent students from impacted communities, to achieve their dream of getting university education.
The PAP boss stated: “By sponsoring you for undergraduate studies, the PAP has taken a bold step to strategically deepen the Niger Delta formal education trajectory of bridging the human capital development gap to foster the region’s social-economic status. In fact, this is my desire and vision for our people.
“The selection process for the award of scholarship to beneficiaries for the 2024/2025 academic session was open, transparent and thorough and I take responsibility for the process.
“We have, as a result, deployed about 1,700 students for this academic session. My leadership would always maintain high standards and work hard to ensure everyone was fairly treated in the selection process.”
He urged the students to be peace ambassadors of the Niger Delta expected to focus on their studies, shun cultism, and other social vices, while respecting the laws of their schools in order for them “to be found worthy in character and in learning” at graduation.
Otuaro added that President Bola Tinubu was delighted at the academic progress that PAP scholarship beneficiaries were making in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
He also expressed appreciation to Tinubu and Ribadu for their support for the programme and commitment to peace, human capital development, and economic growth of the region via the renewed hope agenda.
Some of the beneficiaries, including Blessing Appollos (Bayelsa State, Igbinedion University), Fyneman John-Pere (Edo State, Edwin Clark University), and Ezekiel Appeal, (Delta State, Novena University), thanked Otuaro for granting them the scholarship, saying the gesture would help them a great deal in their studies.
The Star
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