Re – Scholarship Board and Arewa

Last week’s column on Abubakar Bello’s problem with the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) opened the floodgates of discontents by alleged victims. Interestingly, some of these students were so good that they got the scholarship elsewhere, some are now PhDs, some contributed to the discussion from overseas. However, there are others who were so crushed by […]

Re – Scholarship Board and Arewa

Re – Scholarship Board and Arewa

Last week’s column on Abubakar Bello’s problem with the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) opened the floodgates of discontents by alleged victims.

Interestingly, some of these students were so good that they got the scholarship elsewhere, some are now PhDs, some contributed to the discussion from overseas. However, there are others who were so crushed by the disappointment that they didn’t bother to try again. On the flip side, some readers testified that they got the scholarship from the same FSB.

Finally, Abubakar Bello put some money together and travelled from Gombe to Abuja to submit his petition to the minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu. Now we wait the action of the minister. The following are comments from some readers.

 

“I’ve long been waiting for a write up like this Doc. We’ve so many cases of this magnitude, including the local or domestic scholarship (Nigerian Award)our people are short-changed. Pls let’s rise up to fight this situation for our North.”

-Usman Muhammad Bonu

 

“Sad situation and definitely not the first or second.”

-Dr Ziya Mukhtar

 

“FSB story is something else. I traveled twice to Sokoto because of it.”

-Dr Abubakar Khaleed

 

“Nice, you will see how they will now sit up and do the needful. Why must someone be pushed before he can do his job well? This kind of expose is what we need in this Country. Allah’s blessings!

-AAA

 

“That is very good, wallahi. Thank you my prof. May Allah help you. I always like your kind.”

-Sheikh Sabo Jamilu

 

“You have set the ball rolling, I look forward to their response. More power to your wrist.”

-Dr AA Ahmad

 

“I hope they’ll respond to it. May Allah reward for this.”

Abdullahi Salisu Sarki

 

“Beautiful piece. I enjoyed it.”

-Khalid Imam

 

“Worthy of emulation, sir. The rest of us can also assist by talking to people in the corridors of power and writing a petition demanding an investigation into such allegations.”

-Bashari

 

“I know of a similar story with PTDF  and Commonwealth scholarship. At a time, the person almost wanted to write Commonwealth to kindly do the selection instead of the FG. He did not feel the selection was fair enough, worst still no feedback. His only feedback from the Commonwealth was that he was not simply nominated. As for PTDF, if you have met some scholars abroad, you’ll know some of them were not meritoriously selected. What’s the way forward?”

-Abdullahi Kawu

 

“Allah ya kyauta ”

-Bashir Abubakar Gombe

 

“This would surely be painful for that brainy chap. I lost interest in applying for any Nigeria-related scholarship due to the FSB’s lack of transparency. I remember applying to Russia and Greece. I travelled all the way from Badagry to Akure, that was the longest trip I ever embarked on by myself back then. I was fresh out of secondary school with high hopes and that hope was thoroughly dashed due to the FSB’s lack lustre disposition. It is so pathetic.”

-Dr Emmanuel Jesuyon Dansu, Japan

 

“I am also one of those that lost hope in FSB, wrote exams from my 200level and never for once was I lucky… I gave up. ”

-Habeeb, UK

 

“Well, for FSB I’ll not say anything because I tried, even though it was just once and I didn’t get it but other scholarship boards aren’t biased. Try NNPC/TOTAL, NNPC/SNEPCO. Trust me it’s based on merit.”

-Dr Firdausi Isyaku

 

“My younger brother was able to secure the FSB scholarship to study in Russia just through applying online without knowing anyone. That should be around 2015.”

-Abubakar Ngulde

 

“I applied twice at undergraduate level, and I was shortlisted at my second attempt, unfortunately 2 years ago still waiting for my alert.”

-Doguwa

 

“Kamar ba namu suke mulki ba no probs Allah ya bamu lafia.”

-Jamaludin Bayero Abdulhamid

 

“This is serious, may God help us.”

-Mubarak Jibril Gwadabe

 

“Ishaka Usman Ishaq Usman, Abdulrahman Adamu, Abdulhakim Kabir come see this. Dr. Dooba jazakumullah khairan.”

-Mustapha Shehu

 

“I read through. I smelt the usual thing, the boy was short-changed because he has nobody there (the ministry) to help him. Remember, nothing happens in this country without a helper.”

-Dr Mamuda Otaki

 

“Very sad and disappointing.”

-Barr Aisha Gana

 

“There are many northerners with similar cases. May Allah continue to bless you and the young  Abdulsallam Abubakar Bello.”

-Mustapha Ahmed

 

“Indeed, we are many. I’m also a victim.”

-Muhammad Sajo Usman

 

“Nigeria my country”

-Aliyu Bala Aliyu

 

“Allah ya baka ikon Samun nasara. Kudos to you Doc.”

-Yusuf Jikanyaka Jr

 

“Innalillahi wa innaillahim rajioun.”

-Abu Usama Dindey

 

“Hmmm! May God intervene for him.”

-Hassan Mohammed

 

“We want a Nigerian society where children of nobody become somebody without knowing anybody.”

-Hussaini Musa Gawu

 

“This is a case of ‘We doing ourselves’ sad!”

-Aminu Shittu Ruma

 

“Very disappointing.”

-Nura Bello

 

“I have written a post on this, not because my son was cheated, but because I am a northerner.

Sometimes you wonder how some of those you hold in high esteem disappoint you the most when they get into public office.”

-Lawal Yusuf