Delta commences payment of 2018/2019 bursary to students

The Delta State government has commenced the 2018/2019 academic session bursary payment to students who are indigenes of the state studying in various institutions of higher learning across Nigeria.

Executive secretary of the state’s Bursary and Scholarship Board, Mr Sunny Orishedere, disclosed this while flagging off the payment in Asaba.

Mr Orishedere stated that it had become a tradition for the board to perform the formal flag-off ceremony to commence the payment of the bursary.

He apologised for the delay in the commencement of the payment, saying it was due to irregularities discovered during verification and screening of the lists sent to the board by the various institutions of learning across the country.

The secretary disclosed that 24,179 persons applied for the bursary, and that after a thorough screening, 17,169 students qualified to receive payments.

According to him, the report of the verification was submitted to the State Executive Council (SEC), and that upon approval, part of the funds were released to commence payment.

He stated that Governor Okowa is very passionate about the welfare of Delta State students, and that all students qualified for the payment would be paid accordingly.

He noted that Delta is the only state in the country still maintaining the full payment of bursary, and that the state had also initiated other scholarship programmes such as the best graduating student and first class scholarship to encourage excellence.

Also speaking, the national president of the National Association of Delta State Students (NADESSTU), Mr Saturday Godwin, thanked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration for having the welfare of the students in mind and for being consistent with the payment of bursary to Delta State students.

Present at the flag-off were the senior special assistant to the governor on students’ matters, Mr Jerry Ehiwario, and the special assistant to the governor on students’ matters, Mr Francis Osadume.