The National Commission on Disability (NCD) is seeking 10% of the controversial US$25 million scholarship from Nekoteh, a private group in partnership with the Government of Liberia.
By Kruah Thompson
Monrovia, Liberia, November 15, 2024 – The Executive Director of the National Commission on Disability (NCD), Samuel S. Dean, Sr., is urging the Government of Liberia to allocate 10% of a controversial $25 million Nekoteh Scholarship program that aims to support Liberian students pursuing higher education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the U.S. and Canada.
Launched by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on November 7, 2024, the program, which was intended to be a no-collateral loan scheme, has sparked concerns regarding its truthfulness and financial credibility, leading many here to question whether it is genuinely a life-changing opportunity as promoted by the Foreign Ministry in Monrovia.
Many, including Liberian activist and researcher Martin Kollie, have expressed concerns that NEKOTEH is misleading the government. They are troubled by the figures requested by NEKOTEH and find it difficult to believe whether the government program launched is truly legitimate.
However, Information Minister Jerolinmek Mathew Piah announced that the group overseeing the program will arrive in the country today, Friday, November 15, 2024, to clarify issues surrounding its legality.
Accordiing to him, Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, also Dean of the Cabinet will accompany the program’s leaders to a press conference at the Ministry of Information, Culture, Affairs, and Tourism.
Following Piah’s statement, NCD Executive Director Samuel S. Dean Sr., who also spoke at the regular press briefing Thursday, called on President Boakai to allocate 10% of the scholarship funds to people with disabilities so they can contribute to society and live meaningful lives like every other citizen.
“We also pray that the new information provided by the minister is accurate, and we urge them to ensure that at least 10% of the beneficiaries of this scholarship are persons with disabilities. Once educated, these individuals can become agents of change and contribute meaningfully to the country’s development,” he argues.
In another development, Mr. Dean announces that, for this year’s celebration of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, they have decided to empower and support disabled organizations with funding, including scholarships to disabled communities, and provide livelihood support to fifty women with disabilities.
He says they will provide subsidies to 78 disability organizations as their budget has increased from under a million dollars to a million dollars.
He also notes that they plan to offer empowerment aid to over 300 persons with disabilities, pay school fees or provide tuition assistance to 150 high school, vocational, and university students, and provide livelihood support to fifty women with disabilities.
He says the International Day of Persons with Disabilities will be celebrated on December 3, 2024, in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, with plans to host over 800 people with disabilities. Editing by Jonathan Browne
