With the high cost of education, especially at the tertiary level, Delta State Bursary and Scholarship Board is steadily improving on its services to students of the State’s origin, who are qualified for government scholarship/bursary. This is in line with its mandate to offer bursary and scholarship awards to eligible students of Delta State origin, and the Gov Sheriff Oborevwori’s MORE Agenda to prioritized affordable and quality education for indigenes of the State. In this interview with The Pointer crew of Edna Emeni, (Editor), Jumai Nwachukwu, Ifeanyi Uwagwu, Kase Greatness and Rita Oyiboka, the Executive Secretary of the State’s Bursary and Scholarship Board, Dr Godfrey Enita, speaks on the Gov Sheriff Oborevwori administration’s commitment to making sure that only qualified students of the State benefit from government scholarship/bursary, the steps taken by the Board to stop non-indigenes of the State from short-changing eligible Deltans in getting their rightful opportunity to benefit from the scholarship/bursary, and many more.
EXCERPTS.
May we meet you sir?
I am Doctor Godfrey Enita, the Executive Secretary, Delta State Bursary and Scholarship Board.
What is the board’s mission statement and functions?
The mission of the board is to provide financial aid in the form of bursary and scholarship awards to all deserving and eligible students of Delta State origin, studying in educational institutions across Nigeria and, in fact, across the globe. It’s principle function is to formulate and implement policies and schemes to ensure that financial assistance is made available to eligible students of Delta State origin. Another key function of the Board is to select eligible candidates for the award of bursaries or scholarships and to monitor their progress, particularly those involved in different schemes. We also maintain a database of all our scholars to prevent impersonation or fraudulent claims.
In addition to our primary mission, we have a broader goal for the board to ensure that bursary and scholarship awards are easily accessible. We plan to achieve this by collaborating with national and international organizations, including the Common Wealth and other scholarship-awarding bodies. This initiative aligns with the state government’s vision for human development. The scholarship programme, initiated by the state government, aims to cultivate a skilled workforce for the benefit of the State
You mentioned, ‘challenges with verifying students’ eligibility, especially from neighbouring states. How has the board been able to address this issue?
Thank you. The Board faces challenges, particularly from neighbouring states, where people from such States attempt to claim Delta State origin. To put this in check, we’ve developed a robust ICT solution that includes online registration and verification processes. A key aspect of this is the NIN (National Identification Number) verification, which allows us to accurately determine an applicant’s origin.
We also engage consultants to assist with the verification process, by helping us to separate genuine Delta State indigenes from applicants from neighbouring states.
We hear that there have been instances where people married to a Delta State indigene were denied the bursary payment. If that is true, could you, please, explain why?
This may be attributed to what such persons have on their NIN registration. If your NIN indicates that you are not originally from Delta State, that would create a conflict, even with a letter of identification. The system prioritises information from the NIN to ensure accuracy and prevent fraudulent claims, as local government letters can sometimes be fabricated.
Since you assumed office as the Executive Secretary of the Board, what are the new changes or improvements the Board have initiated?
Not many changes yet, as we are currently working on the 2023/24 awards session. Registration has been completed, and we are now at the verification phase. We’re testing the waters before making any major changes to ensure the system is efficient. Once the awards process is completed, we’ll analyse the system and decide on any necessary improvement.
There is the public perception that students in private Universities are excluded from the State’s scholarship/bursary awards. What’s your take on this?
No, that’s not correct. In fact, Delta is one of the few states that provide bursary to students in both public and private institutions, including Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Schools of Nursing. Last year, we awarded bursaries to over 30,000 students, including those in private Universities. We believe that all eligible students, regardless of the type of institution, should benefit from the state’s financial assistance.
Aside from the issue of applicants from neighbouring states, what other challenges have you faced, and how have you tackled them?
We face both human and material challenges. For instance, we need to train our staff to be more ICT-compliant, especially as we continue to digitalise our processes. In addition, we lack operational vehicles and reliable electricity, which makes it difficult to maintain consistent operations, especially during critical periods like payments, where we require constant power due to the digitalised nature of our processes.
At what stage can a student access the bursary/scholarship?
- Students can apply at the beginning of each academic session. Eligible students must be in their 200-level or higher in universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education, and they must maintain a minimum CGPA of 2.2. The system is designed to prevent students from receiving multiple payments, as we require bank details and NIN verification for every disbursement.
Information in the public domain says, there were instances in the past where some students received payments multiple times, while others didn’t receive any. Has that been addressed?
Yes, in the past, such issues occurred, but with the development of our ICT system, it’s now nearly impossible for students to be paid multiple times. At the point of payment, we require bank details that match the student’s NIN, and this ensures that payments are only made once per eligible student.
There was a time, some students claimed that they didn’t use their real account number because they were indebted to some persons, and so they didn’t want the money to be deducted. We insisted that an account number matching their NIN was necessary. These measures are to prevent students from attempting to game the system.
With the increasing number of students, is the board equipped to handle their growing demand?
Yes, the board remains committed to providing financial aid to all eligible students, and we are constantly improving our processes to meet their demands. Since the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s tenure is still relatively new, we are confident that we will continue to refine the system to ensure all deserving students receive their bursaries without any issues. Meanwhile, much has been done in this new administration. Recently, the Governor approved financial assistance of N100,000 per session for state students in Nigerian Law Schools. In addition, four children of civil servants who died in active service have received scholarships through this initiative. Furthermore, students living with disabilities have also benefited from the scheme, thanks to Gov. Sherrif Oborevwori. There have been some delays in fund disbursements and backlogs due to a lot of things lined up, but these issues will be cleared in the shortest possible time.
How is the Board under your watch addressing the issue of people trying to cut corners in order to manoeuvre their way into benefitting from the State’s scholarship and bursary?
We have consistently informed people that this is no longer an analogue era, but a digital one. Without completing the proper registration process, you will not be captured and, as a result, will not be unable to access the bursary payment. This is why the registration process has been handed over to our Consultants, who manage all the applicants. They also address the issue of double applications by collating the number of applicants and eliminating ineligible ones. We spend a significant amount on publicity, ensuring the public is aware that they must follow the correct registration process to benefit from the bursary payments. People often come to complain that their child or someone they know did not benefit from the bursary payment, and the first thing I ask is whether they registered, and if so, did they register correctly? That is the difference between now and the past. In the past, people could manipulate the numbers of students and a check would be issued for them to be paid. Now, everything is system-based.
Are there charges for the registration?
It is not the board that charges; it is the consultants who charge N800 as application fee. This is because the consultants engage service providers, and for each candidate registered, N550 is charged by the service provider. This is far better than when people had to go to different locations to pick up forms, and in the process, some forms could even get lost. Now, you can complete the registration from the comfort of your home, print out your acknowledgment document, and keep it as evidence of your registration.
During the last registration, there was the allegation that some students found it difficult to register online due to portal issues. How is the board addressing this?
Yes, that happened because the consultants were having issues with the website. It occurred some time ago, and the board quickly stepped in to resolve the issue. We liaised with all the students’ representatives and opened a platform where students could present their complaints, which we handled immediately as they came in. This is why we extended the registration period by two weeks. Those who registered in the first week experienced this issue, but following that, the board ensured that the problem was resolved, and the registration process became seamless.
Delta State used to send first-class students abroad on scholarships, but we hear that this was halted. If that is true, has the board reviewed that initiatives?
Before the current administration came in, the foreign scholarship programme had already been put on hold, which is still the case. The current exchange rate situation has severely impacted such programmes. The cost of sending one student abroad now is so high that it could instead be used to train about ten students locally. The focus has shifted to local scholarships, particularly for postgraduate studies. The next meeting with the state Governor will address this matter, aiming to expand scholarships to not only first-class graduates but also others, and to develop scholarship schemes for postgraduate students in specialised courses.
We are looking at the needs of the state, specifically, areas where students can be trained to later add value to the state. These proposals will be presented to His Excellency. There is a recognition that, if left open, everyone will flood the system with applications. Therefore, making scholarships specialised and merit-based is key. For example, focusing on areas such as agriculture and ICT, with strict selection processes, will ensure that those who receive scholarships truly need them and will contribute to the state’s development.
For the 2022-2023 academic session, there were over 42,000 applicants, and in the end, about 30,000 received payments. What was the reason for this?
Typically, when registration begins, a large number of ineligible students, including non-Deltans, apply. A good portion of these applications are eliminated during the verification process. Some people apply, knowing they are ineligible, hoping their name might be considered, while others, such as 100-level students, apply despite not meeting the required criteria. Double registration and incomplete registration also contribute to the number of those disqualified. Some applicants began the process but did not complete their registration, leaving their applications invalid.
For the foreign and postgraduate scholarships you are proposing, will there be a mechanism in place to ensure that beneficiaries return to add value to the state?
Yes, they will be bonded. This is a new approach being implemented, and even private organisations do this now. When they sponsor someone’s education or training, they require the individual to work for them for a certain number of years after completion. Similar agreements can be reached for scholarship recipients, particularly those studying abroad. This was an issue during the administration of former Governor James Ibori, when many students were sent abroad under similar schemes but never returned. With the current “Japa” phenomenon (a term used to describe the increasing number of Nigerians leaving the country), the risk of people not returning is even higher. Hence, bonding is crucial to ensure the state benefits from the investments made in the education of beneficiaries.
What would you want to be remembered for when you exit office as the Executive Secretary of Delta State Bursary and Scholarship Board?
I would want to be remembered for making bursary and scholarship awards accessible and available to eligible Deltans. More importantly, I would want to be remembered for ensuring that more Deltans were able to successfully access the funds.
