Rivers State students, who were on scholarships abroad, but returned home on the order of the government to continue their studies in the country have decried the development.
They wondered why it was during their time the government discontinued foreign sponsorships when their mates concluded their studies abroad.
Former Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s administration began programmes encouraging Rivers youths to study outside abroad.
Some of them have completed their studies and returned home; others stayed abroad for their Masters and Doctorate or work.
But those offered admission to study abroad a year or two before Amaechi left office have been enmeshed in the state’s boiling politics.
Governor Nyesom Wike said his administration had no money to pay for students on scholarships abroad.
Instead, the governor said the students should return to Nigeria to continue their studies in local universities.
Although investigation showed that many students have returned, following the government’s directive.
In an interview in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Governor Wike said despite his decision to discontinue the fees of students abroad, his government cleared fees of those in final year.
The governor said his government could not allow the students to suffer but would offer them opportunity to study in Nigeria.
Speaking with some returnee students, they said the government’s discontinued payment of their fees forced them to abandon their studies and return home.
According to them, they returned because their visas would not be renewed without payment of their school fees.
The distraught students noted that the government’s failure to settle their allowances caused them hardship.
One of the students, Fortune Anokuru, of Computer System Engineering at Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom, said he was preparing for second year when news came that Rivers students on scholarships abroad should return home.
He said students, who have not returned home, were doing menial jobs to survive.
Fortune said: “We came back because we were unable to pay our fees, and the country made it compulsory that it would not renew student’s visa unless we paid our fees. The government has decided to discontinue paying our fees abroad. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
Next time vote #change
ReplyDeleteMumu, what has change do with this? is just Wike bad belly, he did not initiate it, why should he continue.
ReplyDelete