The Executive Secretary, Benue State Scholarship Board, BSSB, Igbe Isaac has described as false, the speculations making the rounds that he is planning to surcharge students who applied for scholarship for the repairs of the destroyed property belonging to the Scholarship Board by the Students.
Igbe who stated this in his office while speaking to newsmen said the speculations only exist in the imagination of the rumour mongers.
The Next Edition reports that newly admitted indigent students in the course of applying for scholarship at the premises of the board caused some damages on facilities and properties belonging to the board.
The student had in turn alleged that the ES has directed an upward review of the amount for the forms and that the sum of N4000 be deducted from their allowances to enable him carryout repairs.
But in a swift reaction, Igbe said it was not only false but baseless and unfounded.
He said if the board wanted to surcharge the students, it will do so not that they are desperate to, insisting that there was no such intention.
He stated that the board is a government property and he was only appointed by the Governor to steer it’s affairs saying what ever destruction done by the students in the process of the scholarship application will be documented and given to the Governor for appropriate action”.
Dr. Igbe explained that trouble started when they (students) refusal to respect the orderly partten put in place by the board to ensure quick and smooth sale and submission of forms.
The ES recalled that when Governor Samuel Ortom approved for sale of scholarship forms for in coming 2018/2019 academic session, the board advertised, directing students to come forward.
“When the students came, we wanted to categorize them according to their respective institutions but that was not possible. They rushed in, we tried to allow them follow the pattern we wanted, it was not possible.
“We tried to sell forms the first day and by the second day, the whole premises was jam-packed so much that there was no space to pass.
Igbe said they could still not sell forms on the third day despite bringing in the police, DSS and Vigilante as the crowd surged and with students flouting the orders of the board to allow for orderliness in the process.
According to him, in the process, the students damaged of some of the office rails, office tables, windows and also broke his official vehicle.
Igbe advised members of the public to disregard rumours that are designed to tarnish the image of the board but rather they should come to the board for clarifications as the board is running an open door policy.
He said the negative perception about the board by members of the public in the past has remained a major challenge saying “we are not criminals here. We are men of intergrity and we are accountable.”
He stated that in the past the students paid the sum of N1100 for the forms “but Governor Samuel Ortom has reduced it to N500 while the scholarship allowance itself is increased by 100 percent and cut across the category of students
