Nigerian students studying abroad on scholarship have lamented the non-payment of their stipends for the past 11 months by the Federal Government.
These students, under the aegis of the Union Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars, in a statement sighted by our punch on Sunday, stated that the situation had left them in serious financial difficulty and had started affecting their academic performances.
Punch reported that “Some students in China have not received any stipends since they arrived in April and May 2023. In Russia, students are struggling with the increased cost of living due to sanctions.
“This pattern of delayed payments has persisted for years, diverting our focus from academic pursuits to survival (contemplating our next meal, daily transport, pending payments, medical expenses, and housing.),” the students lamented
The BEA scholarship is for education exchange between Nigeria and the partnering countries.
The scholarship scheme is being supervised by the Federal Scholarship Board under the Federal Ministry of Education.
The students said despite efforts to get their message to the government through respective embassies and the Federal Scholarship Board, their plight had been left unattended.
They also noted their abysmal living conditions in the countries of study.
For instance, they decried the situation in countries like Venezuela and Morrocco where there are no adequate provisions for accommodation, thereby forcing the students to take apartments and pay rent every month.
In context, in a video posted on Sunday by Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora, a woman believed to be the landlady of some of the students could be seen lamenting their conditions.
“It gives me your headache, your situation,” she lamented.
When one of the students pleaded for more time to sort out their rent arrears, she responded, “It no longer concerns me. Our agreement was for you to pay monthly. I have had enough of this.”
In another video, Anka, who said she is an estate agent, is seen calling on the Nigerian government to come to the aid of the students.
“It’s been a while since they paid their rent. Anytime I meet them, they tell me this month or next month. Up till now, I have received nothing.
Meanwhile, the president of All Campus Show, Nigeria, Comrade Busuyi Ojo-Jobus has pleaded to the federal government to intervene into this matter before it's too late for them, we will not want our students to be treated anyhow abroad where there is noone to help them.
"Federal Government should not have put hands on what may not be sustained, many may start dieing due to lack and stress they are passing through, Daddy FG, please rescue our scholarship Students abroad or you bring them home if you have failed to fulfill your promise, if federal government refuse to rescue them, we the students at All Campus Show will look for a way to do anything positive to rescue them" Jobus concluded