The Senate has summoned the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, over delays in the payment of grants to Nigerian students, who are said to be stranded in many countries around the globe.
The Senate passed the resolution on Tuesday following a motion on a matter of urgent national importance moved by the lawmaker representing Kwara-Central Senatorial District, Sen. Salihu Mustapha.
It called on the Federal Government to punish the officials of the Federal Scholarship Board and the Federal Ministry of Education for being negligent and allowing the students to face needless hardship in other countries.
According to the Red Chamber, the suffering of the students brought disrepute to the name of Nigeria outside its shores.
It added that Prof. Mamman should furnish lawmakers with a detailed report on the status of all Nigerian students under international scholarship programmes.
The Senate urged the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, to urgently carry out a comprehensive investigation into the matter and ensure that necessary steps were taken to address the situation.
Giving background to his motion, Sen. Mustapha said the Federal Government awarded annual scholarships to outstanding students from across the country to further their studies internationally, thereby fostering a cadre of exceptional professionals for national development.
Mustapha noted, “These scholarships are part of a broader initiative to promote specialised education through partnerships with foreign institutions, facilitated by entities such as the Federal Scholarship Board under the Federal Ministry of Education.
“This initiative supports the Government’s commitment to Bilateral Education Agreements (BEA) and Multilateral Agreements with Commonwealth and other international partners.
“Reports of Nigerian students facing hardships in Algeria, China, Morocco, Russia, and the United Kingdom due to non-payment of tuition and living stipends, leading to negative media coverage and national embarrassment.
“The recurrence of these issues suggests systemic failures, despite previous interventions by this Distinguished Chamber to prevent such situations.
“The Federal Government’s failure to meet its financial commitments under these international agreements for over ten months will jeopardise the welfare and academic progress of the affected students.
“The failure to fulfil these obligations not only undermines our national reputation but also poses significant diplomatic concerns and risks pushing our students towards unlawful activities to sustain their livelihood abroad.”
ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then