By Mahmoud Dogara (Bauchi State Correspondent)
The Bauchi State Scholarship Board has stated that it does not only give scholarships to indigent students of the state but liaise with Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics, and other higher institutions to seek admissions for the state's citizens.
The Chairman of the board, Zakari Ibrahim Muhammad, stated this in an interview with journalists on Tuesday in his office. He pointed out that outstanding students are being sponsored even abroad to study various disciplines.
"We will go to all the universities and have interaction with the universities officials so that we can solicit for admissions for our students of Bauchi state especially our catchment areas like Maiduguri, Kano, Abu Zaria, ATBU, and seek admissions for those who do not have"
"Scholarship for 2021 will be paid soon. The problem of non-payment of scholarships in the last couple of years was a result of the non-constitution of the scholarship board as the board had only a sole administrator then. Students studying in foreign schools who were not given scholarship for 2020 and 2019 will be paid in March this year", he said
Zakariya noted that the board as part of measures to avoid fraud in the payment of the money created a portal where all eligible students will apply for scholarships and will be paid through e-payment after the physical screening.
This is even as he promised that first class students of Bauchi state extraction from all institutions would be identified by the board and rewarded.
Also speaking, a permanent commissioner at the board, Hussaini Saraki, urged Governor Bala Mohammed not to relent in disbursing adequate funds to the board so that it can be paying all students at the same time rather than in batches.
"Scholarship is very important because it brings succor to poor students. All the present leaders of the nation were beneficiaries of scholarship, in their time, they enjoyed free education. So they should reciprocate by paying same to present students", he added. NNL
