ADAMAWA SPENDS N700M ON SCHOLARSHIPS

Answering questions from newsmen in Yola yesterday, he said the present administration resuscitated the payment of bursaries in 2008, released N180 million in 2008, N220 million in 2009 and N300 million in 2010.

'The bursaries have been increased by over 100 per cent. It used to be N7000 uniformly but now it has increased to N14,000, N20,000 and N25, 000 depending on the course, we want to encourage science and engineering students,' Zumo said.

According to him, when Governor Nyako came on board, there was no payment of bursaries but things have now changed. He alleged that due to increase in bursaries, some students had evolved ways of manipulating figures and names to dupe the board by using multiple applications and fake documents. He added that the board had discovered over 2,000 students with multiple applications and 340 with fake documents.

He noted that the establishment of the Adamawa Scholarship Trust Fund by the state government with the passing of the Adamawa State Scholarship Trust Fund bill by the state House of Assembly had enhanced timely payment of bursaries.

'We now pay bursaries as and when due, using the interest of the N1.2 billion deposited in four banks by the state government for the commencement of the scholarship trust fund,' Zumo said.