Over 150
Nigerian students who are on the Federal Government scholarship in Russia have
practically turned to begging in order due to lack of payment of their
allowances. This revelation was made by the leader of the Association of
the Federal Government Doctoral Candidates in Russia, Godwin Ezinkwo, during an
interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora
Affairs.
He informed the committee that for six months now, they have not
been paid their allowances, a situation that made them to beg their
counterparts from other African countries, for sustenance. According to
him, the students also suffer in terms of accommodation because most of them
are yet to pay for their houses, adding that they currently face eviction.
“Russia is a very hostile country
in terms of weather and other things.
“It is very embarrassing and difficult to cope and Nigerian students are now leaving at the mercy of other African scholarship students like Ghana, Zimbabwe.
“They lend money to us. So, Nigerian students are like beggars, it is as bad as that and it is demeaning begging fellow students from oother African countries.
“We also have to bring up the issue of accommodation. The agreement in its raw form provides accommodation for students but unfortunately some of the host countries do not honour this agreement.
“Students are made to pay for accommodation but they are unable to pay because their stipends and remittances for about six months.
“As I speak to you now, students are going to be evicted from their hostels because they cannot pay for the accommodation.
“We have the issue of medical insurance because the allowances for all these have not been remitted, students are also going to be evicted as you cannot stay in somebody’s hostel if you are not medically certified,” he said.
He further noted that they had written several letters to see the Nigerian Ambassador to Russia in order to have a one-on-one interaction with him on their plight, but in vain.
Ezinkwo who stated that there are about 150 under-graduate and 10 post-graduate students currently studying in Russia on Federal Government scholarship said that it was the worst form of scholarship by the Nigerian government.
Chairman of the committee, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who expressed dismay at the revelation assured that the House would do everything within its power to unravel the matter in order to help the students.
“It is shameful that Nigerian students that are sent on scholarship to other countries have resorted to begging.
“It is really a sad commentary. You don’t deserve this kind of treatment. We should be ashamed that this is happening. How can you be good ambassadors if you’re treated this way?
“We are going to do our work.
“We will meet with the Ministry of Education and the relevant stakeholders and find out what the real situation is,” she said.
“It is very embarrassing and difficult to cope and Nigerian students are now leaving at the mercy of other African scholarship students like Ghana, Zimbabwe.
“They lend money to us. So, Nigerian students are like beggars, it is as bad as that and it is demeaning begging fellow students from oother African countries.
“We also have to bring up the issue of accommodation. The agreement in its raw form provides accommodation for students but unfortunately some of the host countries do not honour this agreement.
“Students are made to pay for accommodation but they are unable to pay because their stipends and remittances for about six months.
“As I speak to you now, students are going to be evicted from their hostels because they cannot pay for the accommodation.
“We have the issue of medical insurance because the allowances for all these have not been remitted, students are also going to be evicted as you cannot stay in somebody’s hostel if you are not medically certified,” he said.
He further noted that they had written several letters to see the Nigerian Ambassador to Russia in order to have a one-on-one interaction with him on their plight, but in vain.
Ezinkwo who stated that there are about 150 under-graduate and 10 post-graduate students currently studying in Russia on Federal Government scholarship said that it was the worst form of scholarship by the Nigerian government.
Chairman of the committee, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who expressed dismay at the revelation assured that the House would do everything within its power to unravel the matter in order to help the students.
“It is shameful that Nigerian students that are sent on scholarship to other countries have resorted to begging.
“It is really a sad commentary. You don’t deserve this kind of treatment. We should be ashamed that this is happening. How can you be good ambassadors if you’re treated this way?
“We are going to do our work.
“We will meet with the Ministry of Education and the relevant stakeholders and find out what the real situation is,” she said.
Source: Peoples Daily
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