FOR the umpteen time, scholars enjoying the foreign post-graduate scholarships scheme in universities in the United Kingdom (UK) under the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have cried out over demeaning conditions they study due to unpaid tuition fees and other allowances.
Tribune Online gathered that many of 2014, 2015 and 2016 batches of scholars have been unable to either continue their programme or barred from collecting their certificates after graduation as their institutions are still being owed catalogue of debts, ranging from maintenance fees to tuition fees.
Ludicrously, another 2017 batch of scholars are being currently led to the slaughter of ignominy and shame in the UK institutions when their predecessors are still groaning under the yoke of debts yet to be offset by NDDC.
This is coming in spite of the pledge made by the Managing Director of NDDC, Mr Nsima Ekere, in a statement published on the agency’s website recently, to sustain the funding of the foreign scholarship programme which started seven years ago.
The dream of the scholarship scheme, it will be recalled, is to mitigate youth restiveness by sponsoring young and bright Niger-Deltans, who are dedicated to achieving excellence, to pursue their career goals in the UK.
But instead of walking the talk, the commission has allegedly been involved in ignominious activities that seem to paint the country in a bad light before the international community as well as demoralize the scholars who are daily denied access to the schools’ facilities owing to catalogue of debts.
Tribune Online further gathered that some scholars who were dispatched in 2014 and 2015 are the worst hit, many of whom had to besiege streets of their host countries to do menial jobs to survive.
Narrating his ordeal, a member of the 2015 batch, Segun Onabiyi (not real name), who spoke to Tribune Online on behalf of others, recollected the joyful atmosphere preceding their sojourn to the foreign land two years ago.
“I remember it was a memorable moment in September 2015 when we (200 winners from about 3, 000 applicants) were awarded scholarship letters ($30, 000 for 1 year MSc and $30,000 yearly for 3 years PhD degrees abroad) following rigorous tests and interviews.
“Scaling through gladdened my heart and gave me a reassurance that Nigeria can be a great nation again. Shortly after this captivating ceremony, scholars left the coast of the country for their respective universities.
“We solely relied on NDDC as a beacon of hope. We were so carried away with the award that we never had a second thought of ever being stranded in a foreign land. Majority obtained loans, some scholars’ parent sold their properties to foot the travel bills.
“We all believed on NDDC’s promise to pay our maintenance fees as soon as the semester begins. But it took them over four months to pay tuition fees and six months to pay the pre-departure N500,000 to help cover flights and visas which some scholars haven’t even received till date,” the scholar, who pleaded anonymity to avoid victimization, disclosed.
According to him, “Even in Nigeria, universities have deadlines set for tuition payment, talk more of foreign universities who gave us admission letters not only because of our exceptional academic history, but also because we had the full backing of the NDDC.
“My question now is “What is the rationale for the award letters”? Does that mean NDDC gave us the letter only for VISA purposes and change our plans from possible great professionals in our areas of specialities to becoming street hustlers and rogues doing meagre jobs?
“I personally opted for the University’s accommodation which cost about £550 monthly, paid the deposit from my pocket and have now been handed over to the University’s credit agency who have been chasing me with calls and emails even as I am in Nigeria at the minute.
“What an embarrassment, but I can’t-do anything but hope NDDC pays to have my name cleared and clean-slated, “Onabiyi disclosed.
Speaking further, he said “NDDC refused to pay any scholars’ tuition all through the very first semester. Many students were forced to obtaining outrageous loans from Nigeria to pay a semester’s tuition after long-waiting.
“Our names were “red flagged” on university registrar account and international service. Some had no access to university facilities like library and other amenities until NDDC came out to indicate it would be paid but without a timeline.
“We also received emails of registration cancellation if tuition is not paid after certain deadlines, resulting in a cancellation of studentship and immigration status.
“While facing financial instability and emotional trauma, can we stay focused on our studies? We are under stringent conditions as international students; limited to odd jobs for 20 hours a week and minimum wages.
“Honestly, the maximum this could do for most of us is to feed and pay some utility bills knowing full well that accommodations are overpriced because landlords think foreigners bring in a lot of cash in.”
It was gathered that in spite of avalanche of mails sent to the commission, it took ages for some partial respite for the scholars.
Onabiyi added that “After several months of no communication from NDDC, they sent emails requesting again our bank account details.
“This kept our hopes alive thinking payments will be made shortly. This waiting was beyond threshold and scholars in UK decided to stage a protest at the Nigerian embassy.
“This triggered NDDC to release payments (1st batch: April 2016 and 2nd batch: August 2016). Yet, some of us haven’t been paid till date. This is a year and a month since the last payment to the 2015 NDDC scholars, quite preposterous.
“To date, not all 2015 scholars are yet to receive their maintenance payment and the travel allowance as NDDC thinks we are ‘ghost’ scholars.”
Displaying some letters before Tribune Online, he queried: “Please where did I get this letter signed by the then MD, Barrister Dan Abia? Forged? I personally wasn’t allowed to attend my own graduation ceremony because of these unpaid fees. Is this in anyway fair to me?
“Just at the beginning of this year, the NDDC officials (including the EDHSS) visited scholars in respective universities in UK and US without initiating any of our payments.
“They only left the coast of Nigeria only to give false promises to us (including universities officials) putting all blames on “change” in Nigeria government and NDDC governing board.
“I was wondering if they came for this primary purpose or for their personal vacations. NDDC left us in this awful situation while a new batch of 2016 scholars joined the movement in September; we thought our payments would be made soon not knowing we were just being toyed with emotionally and mentally.”
Meanwhile, the NDDC MD, Mr Ekere, during an interview with Channels TV recently, promised to effect the payment, adding that a committee had been inaugurated to look into some alleged discrepancies in the documentation carried out by previous management.
Tribune Online thereafter gathered that two batches of payment had been made only to some 2016 scholars, while preparations were ongoing to deploy 2017 scholars to the UK this month and that a number of 2014 scholars are still reportedly being owed for reasons best known to the commission.
Tribune Online made efforts to get reactions from the MD, NDDC, Mr Ekere and the Executive Director, Finance and Administration (EDFA), Mr Men’s Derek, through their mobile lines to no avail, neither did they respond to text and WhatsApp messages sent to their lines.
However in a terse statement sent to one of the scholars on Friday electronically, signed by Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama from the Education, Health & Social Services, the commission said: “we are currently awaiting management’s approval to enable disbursement of funds,” described as the usual response to such demands.
and then