An educational consultancy firm, the National Image Educational Consult, has said that numerous Nigerian youths from various private higher institutions across the country have so far benefitted from its scholarship scheme.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the group, Hon. Seyi Bamigbade, made this known while speaking with newsmen in Lagos, noting that the project aimed at building the capacity of young Nigerians and preparing them for the future in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, the project came about following the signing in 2023 of an MoU between National Image Educational Consult and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).
He listed other partners of the project to include, National Image Magazine, Ayisat Gbajabiamila Foundation, Clement Onwuzuruike Ukaeru Foundation and All Progressives Congress (APC) Professionals Council.
Bamigbade said the scholarship scheme was not a scam, describing the allegation being bandid about as a campaign of calumny against the project.
He maintained that there was no iota of truth in the allegation but a subtle blackmail from traducers, adding: “It is a barefaced falsehood to allege scam in a project where we do not receive a dime from the students.”
According to him, those he described as the traducers ran to the Nigeria Police with the claim that the promoters offering scholarships to students to study at designated universities and polytechnics is untrue because a futile attempt by vested interests to hijack and politicize the project was rejected.
“We find it a pure act of sabotage for anyone to allege that our scholarship scheme running for several months was used to swindle anyone.
“To begin with, National Image Educational Consult has not and does not receive any dime for this project from governments or their agencies. Even the forms we give are free of charge.
“It is a project exclusively dedicated to promoting the agenda of fighting poverty through human capital development which President Bola Tinubu has clearly highlighted in his Renewed Hope agenda.
“We understand that there were plans by some elements to hijack the project and give it a political coloration, which was rejected by both our partners ALGON and our own organization.
“It is a barefaced falsehood to allege scam in a project where we do not receive a dime from the students.
“We call on Nigerians to ignore the rumours as it is the handiwork of those who do not mean well for our great country Nigeria,” he said.
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