Ebonyi to award foreign scholarship to brilliant students
Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Uchenna Ugwu
Governor Francis Nwifuru said the Ebonyi state government will send 100 First Class and 2nd Class Upper Division graduates to countries of their choice to further their education.
Nwifuru who spoke in Abakaliki on Sunday said the state will also sponsor 300 persons to study for their master’s degrees in Nigeria’s institutions of higher learning of their choice.
The Governor said this was one of the decisions taken at a recent cabinet meeting of the state.
Nwifuru who revealed this during a pastoral visit to him by Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Most Rev. Peter Nworie added that Ebonyi will return all mission schools to their original owners by December.
He acknowledged that the Catholic Church and others were tactical in improving the quality of education in the state.
He directed the Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to begin the process of the return of the schools to the Missions.
“We are badly challenged in the area of education.
“We have agreed at a cabinet meeting to send 100 First Class and 2nd Class Upper Division graduates to countries of their choice to further their education.
“We will also sponsor 300 persons to study for their Masters degrees in Nigeria’s institutions of higher learning of their choice.
“We won’t hesitate if the Catholic Church or other Missions are ready to take back their schools that were taken over by the government,’’ the governor said.
He earlier commended the bishop for the visit and for blessing the congregation of the Government House chapel.
Nwifuru assured of his readiness to carry churches along in his administration.
Earlier, Most Rev. Nworie said the Church was ready to work with the government to enhance teaching and learning in Ebonyi.
“Those schools were forcefully taken away from us after the Civil War. The governor knows our feelings about this,’’ he said.
The cleric also expressed the readiness of the Church under his leadership to support the governor to achieve his goals for the state.
He appreciated Nwifuru for the positive steps so far taken by his administration.
He also called on cabinet members of the government to give their full support to the governor.
“If there is failure in your area there is a failure in the whole government because the success of any member of the cabinet is the success of the governor and that of the whole government.
“Today’s reading is an invitation for all members of the current government to assist the governor to achieve his goals for the state,’’ Nworie noted.
(NAN)
