Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has charged beneficiaries of its Foreign Post Graduate Scholarship in the United Kingdom (UK) to be good ambassadors of the Niger Delta region, pledging that the commission would do its best to address their challenges.
He gave the advice during the commission’s visit to the UK on monitoring and evaluations of the beneficiaries.
In a statement by the NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni, yesterday, said that the visit was targeted at appraising the academic progress and welfare of the scholars in the UK.
Speaking at a meeting with the NDDC scholars at Coventry University in UK, Dr. Ogbuku stressed the need to verify and assess the performance and well-being of the students.
The NDDC team, led byOgbuku included the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye; the Executive Director, Corporate Services, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde; the director, Education Health and Social Services, Dr. George Uzonwanne, as well as the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Davies Okarevu.
Addressing the scholars, Ogbuku stated: “We did not send you here to suffer or to punish you. We sent you here so that your lives will be better and you can add value to society. We felt it is necessary to come and see you and also attend to your challenges.
“We are committed to making sure that you all are comfortable, but what you as scholars owe us is to ensure that you are good ambassadors.”
He added: “Nigerian students abroad are among the brightest students all over the world and we are looking forward to seeing that one of the scholars from the NDDC scholarship scheme becomes the best graduating student in this school.”
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC was very serious with its human capital development programmes, noting that it was pursuing improved investments in the educational sector as part of plans to ensure that the youths were gainfully employed.
He noted that the NDDC delegation would visit five other universities in the UK to secure agreements and partnerships that would take the commission’s scholars and give them full access, including accommodation till their tuition and boarding fees were paid.
The NDDC boss emphasised that the scholarship beneficiaries must all come back to Nigeria after graduation, stressing that the commission would not encourage a situation where it was used as a springboard by those looking for greener pastures outside Nigeria.
Ogbuku observed that the NDDC’s emphasis on value creation was a demonstration of its dedication to maximising the return on investment in its scholarship programme.
“By fostering excellence and local knowledge transfer, the NDDC is ensuring that the skills and expertise gained by scholarship recipients will fuel lasting progress for the entire Niger Delta region,” he said.
