A concerned Etche citizen has appealed for the fulfilment of the council’s bursary promise to students.
A concerned citizen of Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Fred Forum, has appealed to the Executive Chairman of Etche Local Government Council, Hon. Chima Boniface Njoku, to fulfil his earlier promise to pay bursaries to undergraduate and postgraduate students of Etche origin.
Forum, in an appeal dated September 8, 2026, commended the council chairman for what he described as a transformational first year in office, noting that the difference in the administration of the local government was becoming visible.
He, however, urged the chairman to complement the achievements of his administration by translating his earlier bursary announcement into actual financial support for students.
According to Forum, shortly after assuming office, Chairman Njoku announced plans to provide bursary assistance to students from Etche, following which a registration portal was created to enable eligible students to register for the programme.
He expressed concern that despite the registration exercise, students were yet to receive further information regarding the commencement of the bursary payment.
“Upon assumption of office, you clearly announced your move to pay bursary to students from Etche origin and in that declaration, a registration portal was made available through which students registered. Till date, no new thing has been said to the benefit of the bursary payment,” Forum stated.
He stressed that one of the ways to demonstrate responsive leadership was to ensure that public declarations and policies translated into tangible benefits for the people.
Forum therefore appealed to Chairman Njoku to make the bursary announcement a reality through the payment of the promised funds to qualified students, while also extending the programme to postgraduate students.
He noted that the financial assistance could help ease some of the educational challenges being faced by students and their parents.
“While we are seeing light, let students see their student light — alert/bursary. It will help in taking care of one or two challenges being faced by parents and students as the case may be,” he appealed.
He added that receiving the bursary directly could make a significant difference to students and their families.
“Credit alert in the body of a student saves and changes a lot,” Forum said.
The concerned citizen also raised concerns about relying solely on the registration portal as the means of verifying beneficiaries, arguing that additional measures could be adopted to authenticate applicants and ensure that the bursary reaches genuine students of Etche origin.
“The portal created for registration of students from Etche can’t stand as the original verification means. It can be compromised, as there are other ways through which it can be done,” he stated.
Forum urged the council to consider additional verification mechanisms that would promote transparency and accountability in the selection and disbursement process.
He maintained that fulfilling the bursary promise would further demonstrate the administration’s responsiveness to the educational needs of young people in Etche.
Forum concluded by expressing hope that Chairman Njoku would give favourable consideration to the appeal and provide clarity on the commencement of the bursary payment to eligible undergraduate and postgraduate students.
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