The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) said it has paid about N2.28 billion which is over $5.9 million as tuition and stipends owed stranded scholarship student in United Kingdom.
In a statement released on Monday, the Director Corporate Affairs, Charles Obi Odili, disclosed that the commission has disbursed this payment to 197 beneficiaries of its foreign scholarship programme.
“In keeping with our commitment to funding the NDDC Foreign Scholarship Programme, the Interim Management Committee, IMC, has paid $5,910,000 to 197 scholarship beneficiaries of 2019, while payment processes for 94 beneficiaries of 2018 are on-going.”
“Among the 197 beneficiaries, are 43 scholars for Doctor of Philosophy, PhD comprising 12 for 2016 and 31 for 2019. This category got $30,000 each, amounting to $1,290,000.”
“The Masters category has 154 MSC beneficiaries of 2019, who were paid $30,000 each, amounting to $4,420,000. The payment processes for 94 beneficiaries of 2018; 40 for Ph.D. and 54 for MSC, are on-going.”
It will be recalled that there was a protest three weeks ago where the stranded students went on the streets of UK to kick against the non-payment of their tuition fees and hardship they were facing. This prompted the President to issue a one-week ultimatum to the commission to pay all outstanding fees due to the beneficiaries.
Charles Obi Odili, in the statement, saluted the efforts of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who ensured that the approval for payments was gotten from the President.
He stated that the delay in the remittance of the fees was caused by the sudden death of Chief Ibanga Etang, the then Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, EDFA.
“Under the Commission’s finance protocol, only the Executive Director (Finance) and the Executive Director (Projects) can sign for the release of funds from the Commission’s domiciliary accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria,” he explained.
The NDDC spokesman said the NDDC foreign scholars represent the future manpower and professionals that we are building to help transform the Niger Delta region.”The foreign scholarship scheme started in 2010, with objective to address the dearth of qualified professionals in the oil and gas sector”
