PTDF denies excluding South-East candidates on 2022 scholarship scheme
The Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, has clarified a misleading headline of a publication in some sections of the media on its ongoing interview of candidates for 2022 Overseas Scholarship Scheme, OSS.
The PTDF management made the clarification on Thursday in a statement signed by Timilayefa Nwajueboe, Head, Press and External Relations Unit, PTDF.
Some sections of the media reported that PTDF selected 8,000 Nigerians for overseas scholarships and no one from South-East geo-political zone was listed.
Mrs Nwajueboe said that the caption was wrong and therefore misleading to the public.
According to her, all the candidates from the South-East that are successful at the initial processes are currently participating in the interview, alongside their counterparts from other zones, simultaneously.
She said that it is the considered opinion of the management and other stakeholders, that due to the Monday ‘sit-at-home order’ in the South-East, candidates be given option to choose from the other five zones nationwide, rather than Enugu.
Mrs Nwajueboe said the decision was taken purely to ensure that the mobility of candidates from the zone was not affected by the sit-at-home order.
She said the decision was necessary because they would have to move from their various states to Enugu, which usually served as a center for the zone in previous interviews.
She added that the candidates were duly carried along before the decision was reached.
“The decision to maintain five centers which include Port-Harcourt, Abuja, Bauchi, Kaduna and Ibadan instead of six, was basically due to the “sit-at-home order” that might affect the mobility of our potential scholars, as was established by the Head of OSS.
“We have noticed the reactions to the misleading captions in the media and wish to reassure the public that our potential scholars from the South-East are among the shortlisted candidates participating in the interview.
NAN reports that PTDF under its strategic direction provides scholarships to Masters and PhD degree applicants in partnership with universities in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China and Malaysia.
