The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has clarified the position of South East candidates following what it described as a misleading headline of a publication in some sections of the media on its ongoing interview of candidates for the 2022 Overseas Scholarship Scheme (OSS).
The PTDF management made the clarification yesterday in a statement signed by Mrs Timilayefa Nwajueboe, Head, Press and External Relations Unit, PTDF.
Reports said about 26,000 applicants were interviewed in five geo-political zones, except the South East, adding that PTDF did not go to the South-East because of the insecurity situation there.
The reports also said the PTDF selected 8,000 Nigerians for overseas scholarships and no one from the South-East geo-political zone was listed.
But the Fund in its statement denied the media reports, saying: “As we have stated in all our correspondences, it was not a deliberate attempt to remove South-East (Enugu) as one of our interview centres for the conduct of the 2022 OSS selection interview.
“The decision to maintain five centres 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.
“Candidates who indicated South-East at the time of application process were asked to choose a convenient venue from the five centres, which they complied with and are currently undergoing their interviews at the centre of their choice.
“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.
“Names of shortlisted candidates can be found on the PTDF website @ www.ptdf.gov.ng,”
Candidates who indicated South-East at the time of application process were asked to choose a convenient venue from the five centres, which they complied with and are currently undergoing their interviews at the centre of their choice.
Nwajueboe also informed that it was 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 the option to choose from the other five zones, rather than Enugu, or through a virtual interview from the comfort of their homes.
She 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 while moving from their various states to Enugu, which usually served as a centre for the zone in previous interviews.
She added that the candidates were duly carried along before the decision was reached.
The PTDF OSS is an annual programme which began in 2000, aimed at providing Nigerian students with the intellectual foundation and skills needed to participate actively in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Under its strategic direction, PTDF provides scholarships to Masters and PhD degree applicants in partnership with universities in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China and Malaysia.
