Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
The Member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Chinedu Ogah, has raised alarm over an alleged exclusion of the South-East region from the scholarship programme of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), in the country.
Disclosing this in a statement, Ogah called on the Executive Secretary of PTDF, Dr. Bello Aliyu Gusau, to review the Corporation’s scholarship program and accommodate the South-East geopolitical zone.
He explained that the exclusion of the South-East from the Scholarship Program, under the guise of security challenges within the region was not proper as other regions facing worse security situation than the South-East had been accommodated in the scheme.
The House of Representatives member described the development as “an act of violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the laid down guidelines of the Federal Character Commission, FCC.”
He added that if a review of the scholarship program was not urgently done to accommodate the South-East, he will institute a legal action against PTDF.
He said: “I am saying so because, I was elected by the people and will stand to speak for the people as many South-Easterners applied for the scholarship. They are ready and willing to come for the interview in Abuja, instead of short-changing them, on the ground that there’s security threat in the South-East.
“The South-East is not more prone to security threat than other zones in the country as others are being accommodated in the scholarship of PTDF.”
“It is an act of hatred and negligence of the zone. I want to ask the management of the PTDF to review the scheme as they are hereby given an ultimatum to reverse its decision on the South-East regarding the Agency’s scholarship program or face court action.
“You say there is security threat in the South-East and you still held seminars in Enugu, Owerri and Anambra states. Are those areas not South-East?
“The act of denying or neglecting the South-East such scholarship is what tries to increase security threat in the zone. After this call made to PTDF, we will do an open letter to Mr. President to call the Executive Secretary of PTDF to order and revise the scholarship scheme to accommodate the South-East zone.,” Mr Ogah said.
