By Matthew Ayebakuro
YENAGOA: Barr. Matthew has called on the governor of Bayelsa state Hon. Henry Dickskn to wade into the issue affecting Bayelsa indigents that are proceeding for law school. Speaking with TrackNews Barr. Matthew condemned the way and manner the issue has been handled or neglected. He said, students seeking for support from the state government should not be politicise. He his words
“I have watched with pain and amazement how the plight of indigent law graduates from Bayelsa State seeking funding to proceed to the Nigerian Law School has been unduly politicised and treated with sickening levity in the last few months.
I have endeavoured to keep my interventions private by making calls and raising issues with a few people in person. Needless to say that the reaction has been disappointing and fruitless.
Knowing the tendency for issues like this to be easily politicised in Bayelsa State, I have tried to keep my views off social media, until NOW!
But this is painful, and this issue should not have been allowed to linger on to this final hour. There are two clear and relevant facts in this situation:
Firstly, with the state of the economy and the largely civil service-dependent workforce in Bayelsa State, there are numerous law graduates who are from homes that genuinely cannot afford the fees of the Nigerian Law School. When I graduated from Niger Delta University, I also could not afford the fees to attend the Nigerian Law School until I received help. I know many people who lost a year or more, just to raise the needed funds.
Secondly, the Bayelsa State Government and other relevant authorities can comfortably afford to assist these students without it affecting the finances of the State in any way whatsoever.
I have tagged here some of my friends and former unionists who I believe can lend their voices to this appeal. It is not too late. Let us try and make this happen.
And to the Law Graduates, Please keep faith. You are traveling a path that many of us have also traveled and completed. Sometimes you reach the finish line bruised and scathed, but the certainty is that you will come through.
Let us for once, leave politics out of this and try to address this situation. BAYELSA IS US AND FOR US ALL.
IMPORTANT UPDATE
Following the suggestion of Patrick Tamara and other well-meaning people, we are challenging ourselves to support these students with whatever we can, even as we wait on the authorities to come to their aid.
It is humbling to note that donations have already started coming in and anyone also interested in helping can please make their donations to the account of the President of the Bayelsa Law Graduates Forum:
Account name: 6016723892 (savings)
Bank: Keystone Bank
Account name: Aluzu, Ebikebuna Augustine
Donors should kindly send a message to 08064651835 quoting amount donated. Feel free to donate anonymously if you wish to.
God bless you.
