Ebonyi scholars to sign bond preventing abscondment after abroad study

The Ebonyi state government says it will not tolerate abscondment among beneficiaries of its overseas scholarship.

Some 263 beneficiaries of the Ebonyi state overseas scholarship are scheduled to depart for the UK by the end of September 2024.

Chaka Nweze, chairman of the state’s scholarship board, addressed the beneficiaries on Saturday in Abakaliki ahead of their departure.

He said the beneficiaries would sign a bond with the government to ensure they do not “defect” during their academic pursuits in the UK.

“The government will sign a bond with the beneficiaries’ universities of study so that they would return to the state on completing their studies.

“They would deploy their expertise to the services of Ebonyi and its people at least for five years.

“They can afterwards traverse the whole world if they like as the government must have gotten due returns on its investment.”

Nweze said the Ebonyi government spent huge resources on the scheme and drew beneficiaries from all of its 13 LGAs.

He said Ebonyi has spent about N3 billion on its national scholarship scheme and about N9 billion on its overseas scholarship.

Humphrey Nwaobashi, a member of the board, urged the beneficiaries to be good ambassadors of the state as the government had spent huge resources for academic benefits.

“The beneficiaries have 12 months to complete their programmes and would be monitored to ensure that they are justifying the objectives of sending them abroad,” he said.

“We would be in liaison with the universities to give us minute-by-minute information of the beneficiaries for onward transmission to the state governor.”