160 Shortlisted by RSSDA For Special Overseas Scholarships

160 Shortlisted by RSSDA For Special Overseas Scholarships

The Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), has shortlisted 160 candidates for the 2012 / 2013 Governor’s Special Overseas Undergraduates Scholarship Programme.

The Executive Director of the Agency, Mr Noble Pepple who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said the 160 successful candidates emerged after a rigorous screening process which involved both oral and written interviews.

Mr Pepple explained that the agency received a total of 12,404 applications while 7,685 were shortlisted for the apptitude test which held on the 10th of December 2011.

He said the apptitude test produced 439 candidates who were later subjected to oral interviews leading to the emergence of the 160 successful candidates.

The RSSDA Executive Director however said that the 160 successful candidates would undergo some academic programmes in Nigeria to enable them acquire the A-level certificates after which they would leave the country for their respective oversea countries for the undergraduates programmes.

Mr Pepple also said that for the first time in four years, non-indigenes were being included in the programme.

While giving a brief background of the scholarship scheme so far within the last four years, he said that 950 students were currently on the overseas scholarships scheme. The first set of undergraduates who had returned to the country from Singapore in September 2011 are currently in various NYSC orientation camps across Nigeria, while 150 undergraduates are expected back in the country by September 2012.

Mr Pepple debunked speculations that the scheme was being hijacked by politicians, stressing that the Rivers State Sustainable Development. Agency (RSSDA) and the consultancy firm (infores) had been commended for their level of transparency as far as the scheme was concerned.

Source: The Tide