By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa

Succour would soon come the way of indigent students of Bayelsa State origin in universities across the country as the state government yesterday unveiled a new disbursement strategy for the approved N687million bursary fund for its students.

The disbursement system adopted according to the government will lead to the transparent payment of the three years arrears of bursary to benefiting students within the next six weeks.

Advancing reason for the delay in payment of bursary allowances to the students, the seven-man committee on Special Bursary Payment led by the House of Assembly Chairman on Education, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, said though it was caused by the reluctance of the institutions’ registry to release the list of students and the verification exercise, the payment system will ensure that all bonafide students benefit from the new scheme.

The committee, which comprises of the Secretary to the State Bursary Board, Mrs. Atonye Penkemie, the representative of the Ministry of Education, Mr. William Sange, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Affairs, Comrade Mike Olomu, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Higher Education, Dr. Princewill Igbagara and the President of the National Union of Bayelsa State Students (NUBSS),Comrade Prince Owoebi, said it has in its possession list of all indigent students in the nation’s tertiary institutions from the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board.