The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, has reiterated his strong admonition for beneficiaries of the programme’s foreign post-graduate sponsorship to do well for the country and themselves in their studies.
Otuaro spoke at the pre-departure briefing for another batch of 12 foreign post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries deployed to universities in the United Kingdom, which held at the PAP headquarters in FCT, Abuja.
The orientation featured talks on “Social and Cultural Relations in the UK”, “Academic Expectations”, “The Administration of the Scholarship”, and the presentation of laptop to each of the scholarship beneficiaries to enhance their research and thesis work.
He urged the scholars not to disappoint President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government and the Niger Delta, stressing that they are a legacy of the PAP’s academic sponsorships that will manifest in the years ahead.
He said President Tinubu and the Office of the National Security Adviser are happy over the huge number of beneficiaries so far sent overseas by the PAP, as some people had thought that the programme’s foreign scholarship component would no longer be carried out.
According to him, President Tinubu and the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, are genuinely interested in the region’s human capital development and socio-economic growth and they are massively supporting the programme’s initiatives.
Otuaro said, “Today, we are sending you outside the country for post-graduate programmes in the United Kingdom and we believe that we are sending out our best. There should be no room for laxity, put in your best and make the best for yourselves. We are careful in the selection process because we don’t want anybody to abuse the system under my watch.
“We give credit to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. Some people had thought that foreign scholarships deployments would no longer be possible, but the President likes what we have been doing since we started giving out foreign scholarships to beneficiaries.
“Also, the Office of the National Security Adviser that supervises this Programme and the NSA himself, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu appreciate it. That is the feedback we are getting. They are working tirelessly to promote the socio-economic and political advancement of the Niger Delta and indeed Nigeria.
“So I don’t want you to disappoint the President over what he is so happy about. Don’t disappoint the Presidential Amnesty Programme and the Niger Delta because stakeholders also believe that what we are doing – awarding scholarships to qualified beneficiaries – is the best because the legacy will manifest in some years to come.
“When you conclude your programmes and return home, you will also contribute your quota to the development of the region and the country. So, I want you to do well in your studies. We deliberately selected the programmes of study; they are industry-tailored. I am confident that all of you will do well.
“We will continue to work hard to ensure that we build critical manpower for the Niger Delta and the nation. When you do well, others will be encouraged, the President and the NSA will also be encouraged. You are ambassadors of the President. Everyone in the Niger Delta knows that the President and the NSA are strongly supporting this Programme.
“For those of you who are going for MSc, if you do well and qualify for PhD, there is nothing stopping us from supporting your academic progress. Work hard and be diligent.”
The PAP boss reassured Niger Delta stakeholders of his leadership’s unshakable commitment to doing what is right at all times in the interest of the region and indeed the country.
Some of the foreign post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries, including Arafiena Shekinah Nkem (MSc Project Management, University of Liverpool) and Omokaro Rick Efosa (MSc Supply Chain & Logistics Management, Coventry University), expressed gratitude to President Tinubu, the NSA, and Otuaro for the opportunity and pledged to study hard.