Some of the most trusted personalities managing the Kiisi Trust Foundation have revealed that education is a strategy to rest Ogoni. The Trust thus created a scholarship scheme which began in 2018.
On Monday, December 19, 2022, Kiisi issued 106 more university scholarships to some of the brightest Ogoni sons and daughters.
Kiisi was set up from the funds won by the families of the late playwright and environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and his co-martyrs, from court proceedings outside Nigeria.
At the award ceremony in PH, a member of the board and professor of Veterinary medicine, BB Fakae, who stood in for the board chairman, Uche Onyeagocha, said education is one of the thematic areas of the Kiisi Trust Foundation. He said Ogoni can only progress through education, thus the decision to make education a very strong programme in Kiisi.
Giving insight, Fakae, two-time rector of the Polytechnic Bori and two-time vice chancellor of the University of Science and Technology, said the Kiisi scholarship scheme started in 2018 in a pilot stage with 33 applications. The cut-off point was 3.5 cumulative grade point average (CGPA), and for this reason, he disclosed, only 18 candidates qualified.”
He said the board adjusted the cut-off point every year to get the best outcome.
In all, about 3073 applications were received and 765 candidates have so far been awarded. Some 436 students are still in the net, he stated.
He mentioned the philosophy of the project to be that scholarship is for scholars, and that scholarship is not a bursary.
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On transparency, the seasoned academic and university administrator of high repute said Kiisi board chooses to publish results with candidates CGPA so everybody would know why a candidate was selected.
In his overview to kick-start the event that was both physical and virtual, Lebatan Ndegwe (Executive Director) who is a medical doctor said the foundation is trying to create a better future for the Ogoni.
He said the objective of the Trust is to maximize the people’s needs such as health, education, women issues, etc.
Ndegwe gave explanations on what Kiisi is doing in health (lighting Bori general Hospital).
He mentioned what Kiisi is about doing in schools to enable Ogoni students score higher in the Computer-Based Test (CBT) and the universities through the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
“No board member has recommended anybody to get scholarships. We are adamant that nobody will influence anything. Transparency is the biggest key here. It is not about my brother or my sister.”
