From Joseph Adahnu, Yola
The Taraba State Government Scholarship Programme, initiated by Governor Agbu Kefas, to support indigent students for foreign postgraduate studies, has suffered a setback following allegations that top government officials hijacked slots for their own children.
Among those named are Hon. Mike Dio Jen, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, and Zakaria Kurutsi, Director of Students at the State Scholarship Board.
The Scholarship Board, shortlisted 100 beneficiaries, drawn from the state’s 16 local government areas, for fully funded Master’s degree programmes at various universities in India under the Kefas administration.
One of the selected candidates is Victor Mike Dio Jen, son of the Commissioner for Tertiary Education. His father previously served as Provost of the State College of Education, Zing, and as a member of the Taraba State House of Assembly. Victor reportedly graduated in May this year from the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola.
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Under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act, he is required to complete one year of national service and obtain a Certificate of National Service before he can formally take up postgraduate studies. This has raised questions among other beneficiaries and concerned citizens about the selection criteria used by the board.
Further scrutiny has focused on Zakaria Kwenjerimam Kurutsi, whose parent is a senior director at the Scholarship Board that conducted the screening. Documents signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Gabriel Kataps, indicate that the children of both officials have been awarded scholarships to pursue postgraduate studies at Noida University in India.
Attempts to reach the officials named in the allegations for comment were unsuccessful as of the time of this report.
However, the Taraba State Government has defended the selection of beneficiaries for its postgraduate scholarship programme to India, insisting that the children of government officials are indigenes of the state and should not be automatically excluded from accessing government-funded educational opportunities.
