Disclose beneficiaries of foreign scholarship programme – PDP to Ebonyi Govt

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State has called for the full disclosure of financial details and beneficiaries of the state government's foreign and local postgraduate scholarship program. Chief Emmanuel Igwe, spokesperson for PDP's governorship candidate, Chief Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, made this demand following the latest batch of Ebonyi scholarship recipients' departure for the United Kingdom.

Igwe emphasized that while the initiative can enhance human-capital development, it should be subject to full public scrutiny as it is funded by taxpayers' money. He challenged the Ebonyi State government to publish the names of all beneficiaries, their universities, courses, tuition fees, accommodation costs, allowances, and the total amount spent on each student.

Igwe questioned the widely reported financial figures surrounding the scholarship program, urging the government to provide a detailed breakdown instead of aggregate figures. The state government claims the program targets 1,000 beneficiaries - 300 for overseas postgraduate studies and 700 for local postgraduate studies. The Ebonyi Scholarship Board Chairman, Chief Chaka Nweze, reiterated these figures in June 2026.

The 2026 Ebonyi budget allocated N20 billion for scholarships, with N15 billion for foreign scholarships and N5 billion for local scholarships. Igwe stressed that transparency is crucial, especially when the program is funded with taxpayers' money. He also alleged that the program may be susceptible to abuse if complete records are not made public, stating that any allegation of financial misconduct should be backed by documentary evidence.

Igwe dismissed claims that opposition to the program is against human-capital development, asserting that education is an investment and every naira spent on it must be accounted for. He urged the government to publish the relevant documents to address the concerns raised by the public.