The attention of Edo State Government has been drawn to a sinister move by politicians in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to recruit thugs masquerading as students to cause disaffection in the state over issues bordering on Bursary award and scholarship.
The ‘students’ who held a clandestine meeting at the SUG building in the University of Benin threatened to mobilize students to agitate on the streets of Benin after a 7-day ultimatum to the government to commence payment of bursary expires.
We want to state clearly that the payment of bursary is not a ‘birthright’ as the ‘students’ claim and is not compulsive on a state government as there are many states in the federation which do not pay. Some states which are generally described as disadvantaged in terms of western education pay bursary to encourage their students go for higher education.
To therefore equate Edo State, which even the ‘students’ admit ranks tops on the education scale and has one of the ‘highest number of students in tertiary institutions in the country’ with such educationally-disadvantaged states as Yobe, Zamfara is comical.
While the ‘students’ revealed they were hired hands with the way they launched an attack on the person of the Governor, we want to state categorically that at no time did the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole promise to pay bursary to students of the state in tertiary institutions as the state’s resources cannot cope with the burden.
We therefore warn that the government knows the brains behind this move, including some who are supposed to mould the character of the students, and they are under close watch by security agencies.
The security agencies are also on the alert to deal decisively with anyone or group which tries to foment trouble in the state under the guise of bursary awards and scholarships.
Signed Peter Okhiria
Chief Press Secretary
