NDDC STUDENTS TO PROTEST IN UK OVER UNPAID FEES
Ninety-four post-graduate students under the scholarship scheme of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the United Kingdom will today, Monday, November 2, commence another round of protest over the non-payment of their tuition.
Earlier this year, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) came under intense attack and scrutiny as various forms of allegations of corruption were leveled against them.
The 2019 NDDC scholarship students had also accused the Niger Delta Development Commission of abandonment, claiming that even their fees have not been paid.
Read Also: NDDC RESPONDS TO ALLEGATIONS OF ABANDONMENT FROM 2019 SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS
The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had in July appealed to the Authorities of the NDDC to pay the allowances, tuitions and other incentives of students on their scholarship scheme in the United Kingdom.
The NIDCOM Chairman lamented that some of the students have become beggars.
In the latest planned protest, report says the students might march to the Nigerian High Commission in London to express their displeasure over the inability of the commission to pay their fees.
Read Also: NIDCOM APPEALS TO NDDC TO PAY STRANDED STUDENTS ABROAD
The President of the Niger Delta Students’ Union Government, Negba Goodness, said the development was a continuous embarrassment to the country.
Goodness called on the NDDC to pay up the fees in order to save the country from further international embarrassment.
He said: “We are surprised that the NDDC has refused to pay the remaining 94 students on its scholarship even after verification. We knew that the verification was an excuse to escape the payment.
“Unfortunately, those scholars have decided to protest again at the High Commission in London from Monday (today). This is a continuous embarrassment to the nation and deceit to the collective sensibilities of all Niger Deltans, who know that the funds are there to settle these students.
“As a union, we will not watch our students being stranded because of deliberate efforts of individuals, whose greed have overshadowed their conscience. We will resist all attempts to sweep these issues under the carpet.”
Meanwhile, the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC said in a statement that it would pay the outstanding scholars’ claims within a week.
In a statement by the Director of Corporate Affairs,
Charles Odili said the acting Executive Director Projects, NDDC, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, was in London on September 17, 2020, with relevant officers of the commission to carry out physical verification, monitoring and evaluation of legitimate students on the scholarship.
“Having concluded the verification, which involved the registration of all scholars and the confirmation of their claims with the various universities, payment of the outstanding fees are to commence immediately,” the statement read.
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