Rivers suspends overseas scholarships for students

By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT— Rivers State Government has suspended its overseas scholarships for students of the state origin  in foreign universities, saying it will only pay the tuition fees for those in final year.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Onimim  Jack, disclosed this to parents of the students, yesterday, in Port Harcourt.  She said the government would see how the students would continue their studies in the state-owned universities, adding that the decision to suspend the scholarship scheme  was due to paucity of funds.

Some of the parents who spoke to newsmen condemned the decision of the government, stressing that the government should have sourced money to sustain the scholarship scheme.

Meantime, Governor Nyesom Wike has said that his administration will not reduce workers’ salary from the N18, 000 minimum wage.

The governor gave the assurance, yesterday, when he played host to the National Chairman of Labour Party, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, at Government House, Port Harcourt.

The governor said the backlash of reducing the minimum wage will be more than the gains, stressing that his government would not be party to any move to reduce the minimum wage.

He said the welfare of workers was dear to his administration,  adding that it informed why he cleared three months salaries owed workers by his predecessor.

He said: “Rivers State will not be a party to the reduction of the minimum wage. Government will not reduce the minimum wage. The state government will continue to pay the salaries of workers because we believe that the worker deserves his wage.”

Earlier,  National  Chairman of Labour Party, Alhaji  Abdulsalam, advised against reduction of the minimum wage.

He commended the governor for giving room for opposition parties to be actively involved in his government by appointing some of their members into offices.