Chairman of the Coalition of Rivers State Youth Bodies (CORYB), Comrade Imeabe Saviour Oscar has charged the Rivers State Government to revive the once vibrant State Scholarship Board to enable qualified children from poor background have the opportunity of going to higher institution.
Oscar made the call while handing out 30 free JAMB forms to students from Gwara Community in Khana Local Government Area as part of his educational support initiative.
The Rivers youth leader noted that not all parents have the wherewithal to send their children to higher institutions which has contributed to many youths taking up vices and other crimes in the society, stressing that reviving the scheme would help curb the menace.
”I want to call on the government in place to see how they can go back to the system where Rivers State Government was giving out scholarships because not everybody or every family are bouyant enough to sponsor their children to school. And that’s why there is high level of prostitution, stealing and crime in our society because so many persons in school are using every means possible to graduate because their parents cannot afford their fees anymore.
” Our Rivers State Scholarship Board must come up so that people that are qualified can get scholarship from the state government,” he said.
Speaking on the free JAMB forms to indigent students of Gwara community, he said it is his own way of giving back to society and encouraging growth in his community.
He used the medium to call on other members of the community who have the means to do same to uplift the community.
”Seeing people giving back to their communities is one good thing that I consider very important and I want to also tell us here that in the future, we should also find away to give back to our communities and imitate this gesture.
”So this is an avenue to motivate you all and also call on our brothers and sisters that are capable of this kind of gesture to also do same because if we all give attention to where we come, our community will be better than the way it is right now, ” he added.
Oscar who is also the National President of South South Youths Initiative (SSYI), called on the beneficiaries to put in their best to make themselves and the community proud. He also advised them against joining secret cults and engaging in vices capable of ruining their future.
”If you are a beneficiary of this JAMB form and the admission processes, don’t call me for any challenge relating to cult activities because I won’t respond to such calls. Ensure that the reason why you went to school is not in vain and the reason I sacrificed my little is not also wasted, so I will urge you to put in your best to make sure that the community can be proud of you, ” he advised.
He also used the medium to call on Ogonis to patronise the newly established Federal University of Environmental Technology, FUET, Tai, Ogoni, nothing that the institution is as a result of Ogoni struggle and part of confidence building measures to facilitate the resumption of oil exploration in the area.
”I will encourage you to pick Federal University of Environmental Technology (FUET), Ogoni as first choice because it’s on our land and we all fought for this particular development.
”This school given to us is as a result of the ongoing dialogue for oil resumption in Ogoni by the Federal Government led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, so it is our right to patronise it and be given priority attention,” he maintained.
Speaking on the occasion, a former president of National Union of Gwara Students, Deebii ThankGod Celestine, commended the donor for the kind gesture aimed at supporting education in the community.
He encourage other leaders from the community to emulate the gesture while further urging beneficiaries to seize the opportunity with all seriousness.
”I want to use this opportunity to encourage other leaders in our community to always embrace gestures like this so that the benefits from education will continue to illuminate our society.
”To the beneficiaries, I encourage them to utilize this opportunity as a first step to their destinies in academics, so they shouldn’t take it as a normal but utilise it to ensure that they come out with flying colours,” he said.
Some of the beneficiaries, Divine Lekia Legborsi and Nabura Goodness Barisiletam appreciated the donor for supporting their academic pursuit, assuring to come out with flying colours.
