Scholarship Allowances: Students Give Gov. el-Rufai 21-Day Ultimatum

BY AMOS TAUNA, KADUNA – National Association of Kaduna State Students (NAKASS) has handed down a 21-day ultimatum on Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai to either pay them their three-year scholarship allowances or risk closure of schools in the state.
The students decried the total neglect of their course since the inception of the APC  Administration in the state, leading to many students abandoning their studies while others have faced so many challenges due to refusal by the state government to pay their scholarship allowances.
Addressing newsmen in Kaduna on Thursday, spokesman of the students and General Secretary of NAKASS, Jeremiah T. Gwaza, said, “NAKASS has exhausted every means possible to dialogue with every relevant agency over this set issue for years now but to no avail as they keep giving stories every time an approach is made to resolve the set matter.
“We demand for the immediate reversal of the new scholarship scheme as it all but a bunch of cake in the middle of nowhere in other words very unrealistic.
“For not paying the student scholarship as reflected in the state appropriation bill for 3 years, we want to believe you have intentions to which is why We demand for the payment in arrears of our old Scholarship Bursaries for those three Sessions.
“We also demand the refund of 500 Naira paid to the scholarship Board by almost 50,000 students to purchase scholarship forms which was never granted, payment should be made to their personal accounts as we all know some of them have graduated and others even are no more. We call on all sister unions to join in solidarity as this matter affect everyone whether directly or indirectly.”
He explained that scholarship had played a salient role in making this country, stressing that it has impacted meaningfully to its development from colonial era till date.
“As a matter of fact, it helped in giving birth to most of our Nationalists who fought for the independence of this great Nation and that we strongly hold at heart.
“It was this same scholarship our governor enjoyed in the 70s as well, it’s not in any human to deny fellow humans whatever privilege one enjoys such as scholarship.
“Today it is with a heavy heart we express our disappointment with the government of Mall. Nasir el-Rufai to the general public over his neglect of tertiary students of this great state in his acclaimed Educational reforms.
“This was the leadership we all had very high expectations for as students in the aspect of scholarship but to our disappointment, since the inception of his administration every appropriation bill had an allocation for scholarship but no payment was ever recorded made to local students which has led to the lugubrious hardship amongst our students especially Orphans, those from less privilege homes, those whose parents were retrench from the state civil service by his administration, those whose parents are retirees and the list goes on.
“The Government of Mall. Nasir el-Rufai introduced a new scholarship towards the ending of 2017 which was categorized into Merit (For Those with 3.5 upward), Need
Base (For Those with 3.49 down ward), also for Sport Category and Special for people with Disability, these set scheme was given a good media projection which most of us and every other believer of the Governor clap our hands, not knowing it was all in vain.
“Students were given a link to follow and register within less than 15 days not long after this announcement, we were able to get students to do so and they (Students) all traveled from all over the country as instructed down to their local governments areas for screenings, and for some to the Scholarship board itself, risking their lives, forfeiting academics and spending their little pocket moneys as a result of the palatability of the prospective scholarship soon hitting their Bank accounts.
“As I read this statement, some of them are now graduates because they never saw the money for some of us we knew the whole scholarship thing was just a propaganda.
“It was not Long in Zaria during an event organized by one of Zaria’s student association we were again confronted with another hit by the governor when he say the state government are working together with commercial banks to give Kaduna state students scholarships in form of loans as it is been done in some developed countries, that was when we knew we are not in any way close to the middle of the tunnel. I personally find it hard to place why a Government that comes to the media to boast of generating so much revenue for the state yet can’t
pay students scholarships, truly speaking it’s not really a funny experience for those of us following the trend of events in the state.
“It has been three(3) Academic Sessions now without a penny from the state government to help Kaduna State Students augment for the high cost of living in most school environment around the country which has brought about a perilous experience to a lot of student, as a result of this ordeal over 73,632 students are subjected to various forms of hardship and challenges ranging from Tuition Fees which has led to deferment of sessions, Semester and in some cases even withdrawal, also House Rents which has led students to stay more than 5 in a room, and some sent packing, it must be noted this two above mention issues has really brought concern especially in the aspect of ladies taken advantage of either strangers or the opposite sex just for the sake of meeting ends which is not a good record for this administration.
“Also the cost of printing assignments has left some students with carry overs as some could not even borrow to do those course works as they were not even sure of the next meal. Now a new session is already here and some state institution have given a short time for registration the question is what will be the fate of Kaduna state students this registration season again?
“It must be understood that Kaduna State students are studying under intense frustration which is leading to immense depression, thereby hampering on Academic performance amongst students which has been on the decline within this almost 4 years of this administration.
“It is with great displeasure we bring to the notice of the general public the sudden disappearance of Visiting Lecturers in state own institutions which has now complicated things as we see shortage of man power in Institutions around the state, which is greatly affecting most of us students schooling in those institutions, for God sakes this is the center of learning! It is so pathetic, we are tired of this agonizing situations and we cannot take it anymore,” the students lamented.