Mr Bonse said that his team had secured a robust scholarship arrangement for deserving students in the state through an international partnership network. He added that the scholarship would be evenly spread across the 18 local government areas (LGAs) of the state, with 1,000 students per LGA benefiting.
According to the governorship candidate, the scholarship programme would not discriminate against any student in tertiary institutions. As an advocate of good and qualitative education, he promised to ensure that students are given all the support they need to ease their schooling experience.
In his words, “The only way to attain advancement for the state and the country at large is through education, especially science and technology. The destination University is Weldios University in Benin Republic where scholarship arrangements have been perfected for 18,000 students from the State. The programme has been fully paid for, and no money needs to be paid by the parents or guardians of these deserving students."
He further stated that the scholarship programme was not a campaign stint, as it is verifiable and authentic. Once the students qualify and are given admission, the campaign organisation would provide stipends for the students to go to school.
Mr Bonse explained that the initiative would produce more students in the state to qualify for admission to study science-related courses in foreign universities. He promised that if elected governor of the state, his administration would focus more attention on lifting the standard of education at all levels.
He said, “The current state of education is a far cry from where it should be and can no longer be acceptable. We also have the issue of strikes, which we, unfortunately, can do nothing about from outside, we will make sure we deal with the root causes holistically if given a chance to govern the State.”
During the two-week-long last lap campaign, Mr Bonse visited several local government areas in Cross River North, including Obudu, Obanliku, Bekwarra, Yala, and Ogoja. He met with critical stakeholders, support groups, and associations to discuss his plans for the state.
He also visited the Sarkin Hausawa da fulani Palace, where he addressed the Hausa community in the Bogobiri area of Calabar. The governorship candidate assured them of his commitment to ensuring that every citizen of Cross River State has access to quality education.
Mr Bonse emphasised that the initiative would go a long way in unburdening the educational institutions, which are already grappling with poor infrastructure for sound and qualitative education in the state. He promised that his administration would give more attention to the teaching of science and technical subjects in secondary schools.
According to him, the scholarship programme would enable more students to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills needed to compete favourably in the global market. He stressed that education is a crucial tool for development, and his administration would invest heavily in it if elected.
The governorship candidate called on the people of Cross River State to vote for him and his party in the upcoming elections. He promised to use his position as governor to bring positive change to the state and improve the standard of living of the people.
He said, “My team and I are committed to building a new Cross River State where every citizen can thrive and achieve their dreams. With your support, we can make this a reality. Let us all come out en masse on March 18 and vote for the New Nigeria Peoples Party.”