Having followed the incessant agitations for bursary payment by the indigenous students of Kogi nationwide in recent time, it’s glaring that the New Direction Government is heading to a bad direction, considering the way is handling the matter with levity.
Recall in May 2018, the students in their large numbers registered for the annual Scholarship scheme orchestrated by the Kogi state government with a token of #650 from their hard-earned savings as part of the requirements for the payment. However, it seems the latter has been using Peter to rob Paul as both bursary incentives and registration fees are hanging on the air, leaving us with the big question, who’s to be blamed? Should we blame the ignorance of the students or the negligence of the government to do the needful?
Going by this backdrop, it is expedient we look at some indices that categorised payment of bursary particularly in a well developed society where things are done accountably and transparently. For instance, it’s rightly believed that bursary incentives are dividends that every student get during study years in school and not necessarily privileges as it’s rightly assumed to be in this part of the world.
By implication, state governments now use this payment as a tool for political evangelism to earn the goodwill of the students because, they believed who plays the pipe always dictates the tune hence, the students are obligated to dance to the tune of these political gladiators before getting what is duly theirs. This has led many electorates to lose voting right on the altar of the peanuts that vanish by a space of time.
Why it’s perceived by some quarters that the payment of the bursary incentives is a scam is as a result of the promise and failure syndrome of some of the government functionaries who are now becoming experts at painting lies in such a way that would convince the students to buy into their tactics. What a joke of the century!
Without mincing words, it’s right to say that the government has done its best in time past by meeting the needs of the students just as she did the previous year (2018) but, there still need for improvement on the part of the government to ensure that the students get what is rightful theirs as promised by the New Direction Administration under the leadership of His Excellency, Yahaya Bello. I believe if things are done right by the government as suggested above then, the students wouldn’t have any cause for alarm. The government should look into this matter as delay might rather be dangerous in this regards.
– Arogbonlo Israel writes from Lagos
gemid931@gmail.com
