The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, has encouraged students schooling abroad on scholarship to justify the Federal Government’s investment in them by taking their studies seriously.
Otuaro, who made the appeal on Sunday during his meeting with students studying in the United Kingdom on PAP scholarship, stressed that much was expected from them in terms of their academic performance.
This was disclosed in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Igoniko Oduma, on Monday.
According to him, the PAP scholarship scheme had produced many graduates who bagged distinctions in competitive disciplines, including the sciences and clinical sciences.
He urged them to sustain the story of academic excellence by their counterparts back home in the foreign country.
According to him, many PAP graduates are doing very well in their post-graduation endeavours and contributing significantly to national growth and development.
This was even as Otuaro stated that the continued payment of the scholarship scheme was in tandem with the vision of President Bola Tinubu for the peace, stability and socio-economic development of the Niger Delta, as encapsulated in his Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said, “As PAP scholarship students abroad, it is very important that you study hard and aim to make the best grades in your academics. That is what you have been sent here to do, and that is what you are here to do and nothing else. Nigeria deserves nothing less than good conduct and sterling academic performances from you.
“We will always prioritise your scholarship and welfare because this is one avenue through which we can achieve our goal of closing the existing gap in the human capital development of our region. Let me use this opportunity to inform you that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is very happy with the fact that PAP scholarship students are making first-class and second-class upper divisions in various courses of study, particularly in the sciences, engineering and clinical sciences.
“Therefore, the Niger Delta is properly captured in Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which is why he is very supportive of the Office in terms of the educational and vocational programmes we carry out to deepen the reintegration phase of the programme for the benefit of our people.
“We are immensely grateful to Mr President, and that is why I urge you all to take your studies seriously and don’t disappoint the Federal Government, the PAP Office, and the Niger Delta region where you come from.”
In their reaction, the students expressed gratitude to the PAP boss for visiting them and prioritising their scholarship and welfare.