Beneficiaries Of FG Scholarship Schemes Destroyed It -Dr Obidigbo

Beneficiaries Of FG  Scholarship Schemes  Destroyed It - Dr Obidigbo

Awka: Obiorah Anthony Ugwonwa

Anambra State based Social Commentator, Dr. Chike Obidigbo ,(Osisioma Igbo), has blamed the sudden dearth of Federal Government's  Scholarship Scheme for the teeming under privileged  brighter Nigerian youths on  lack  of sense of commitment and patriotism  of some Nigerian elders who  benefited from the scheme decades ago. 

According to Chief Obidigbo , some of these beneficiaries   today  found  themselves  not only in   political cycles , but  also in top  government positions where  some of  them even divert  and  embezzle  funds budgeted for scholarship schemes which in no small measure undermine the  future prospects  of  youths and upcoming generation.

He observed that when some of them who  went into politics in Nigeria  ended up becoming  thieves and embezzlers of money budgeted  for critical programmes. 

"They steal it because nobody is going to ask them why. The youths that in position to asked are bribed with fifty thousand naira or more here , and there ,and they became silent.

" So, because they have done that , they have destroyed the future of a lot of brighter people who do not have opportunity even from home ",he lamented. 

He recalled that when he finished his  school certificate examination , that he sat for examination for Federal Government's Scholarship Scheme  and passed  it without bribing anybody and  got another scholarship to do his post graduate studies , and yet did not bribe anybody equally. 

"And some of the people that got into position during our own  time studied on scholarships  , and today they have made sure that the Scholarship Scheme ended with them by stealing , and embezzling all  funds that were meant for that purpose", Osisioma maintained. 

He regretted that a lot of Nigerian elders did not do well  when they were in position of authority to help the youths and fell woefully to hold unto the things that should have given the youths a brighter future, reminding the youths that they should  focus on building  a  brighter future at all times. 

Osisioma Igbo, who affirmed that children of today no longer understand what  is happening in Nigeria  because they have been somehow manipulated to believing that money is everything , noting that originally in Igbo land, people do not get into leadership  positions because of money or the level of education they have acquired. 

" Leadership  positions in Igbo land were based on who you are, what stuff are you made of , are you real genuine human being , if you are , then you are qualified to be an Igbo leader. 

He argued that in Igbo leadership , no one person takes decision , saying that their decisions are usually collective by a few selected responsible elders who have now become leaders of the Igbo nation .

" Before now, we have Igbo union, and in the villages, one could find out that there are classes of people that rise to become leaders . Is not everybody that becomes a leader because there are some people who do not merit it. 

" But these days, the people are now looking at money. Everything in Igbo land today centers on money, if you kill twenty people to make twenty billion naira, no problem , you are recognized, if you carry drugs allover the world, you are recognized, if you commit all kinds of crimes , people are not interested. 

"Anything you do to get money, once you get it, you become recognized , including the churches , they will give you the front seat in the church. They recognize you even in the communities, anything you do is the right thing . Obidigbo stated. 

The Social Commentator, who is also  the National Chairman, Omabala Union, decried the present condition Igbo youths have find themselves in present day Nigeria , describing it as psychological manipulation , regretting that instead of  them looking for a positive venture to engage themselves ,  they are after looking for quick money, 

" If you  are educated , and do not have money , they will press you until you feel  inferior in the society, untill you accept inferiority , if you don't , they will keep forcing you untill you accept it. 

" That is why when you become a  professor in a University with twenty years experience, your salary will not be up to one million naira, and when a stupid  boy that passed through you in the University is elected  a Senator or a member Federal House Of Representatives, automatically  he becomes a multi billionaire, doing what?,he queried. 

According to him, time has came for Igbos , and indeed Nigerians at large to start thinking of what should be the solutions to these problems , and further argued that because the people have now made money everything around their lives, the young people are now looking in the direction of money to the extent that , if they want to do something for the people, they will ask for money , even when what  they are doing will equally benefit them.

Osisioma, who noted that as young persons , the youths are not interested , said that what they are interested is how much money people give them , which according to him was  why people go to the polling units, and stand under the sun from morning till  evening only to be given two thousand naira only , and they cast their votes for a candidate because of two thousand naira which they spent the same day in  the market  immediately ,and the idiot they voted for will be there till next four years milking , and taken advantage of vast  money that passes through governance. 

"And then, you find out that our young people as  I said are focusing on those people that have money, and the Governors will now use the money that belong to the state to buy  young talents to write all kinds of rubbish in their favour , and sometimes neglect the interest of the people they are  governing. . 

He opined that the Governors do not care again , and the elders can't even  talk again  because they have no money to bring to the table , pointing out that nobody wants to listen when an elder made a statement of honour because he has no money , especially when the statement does not fall in line with the thinking of the government in power ,thus those white horses they use to surround  themselves will go out to attacking the elders so that they will now withdraw their statements,and become quiet.

"But what we are saying today is that these elders should not continue to be silent because there is a very big struggle , a very big war to get the young people to look away from money , and start looking into their future. 

The Social Commentator, who spoke among other things , identified total  rethinking by all as only answer to the protracted challenges facing the youths over the years , adding that protest would have been the better option ,but because of the way people find themselves in Nigeria today , protest will not work out successfully. 

" If you protest, they will use the military, police , anybody to intimidate  you , and most of these security agents are not from Igbo extraction ,hence ,they can shoot anyhow  at the innocent youths ", he alleged. ###