Kaduna students give El-Rufai 14-day ultimatum to begin scholarship scheme

A coalition of students in Kaduna State has given Governor Nasir El-Rufai 14-day ultimatum to begin a scholarship scheme.

The students, under the aegis of Coalition of Youth and Students in Kaduna State, threatened to launch mass protest to cripple government activities.

The group’s spokesman, Adamu Adamu Matazu, said the governor, who rode on students’ platform to become governor, has failed to protect their interest.

According to them, El-Rufai has insisted on not paying bursaries or awarding scholarship to students of tertiary institutions since he became governor.

The group, which rose from a meeting in Kaduna, vowed to mobilise students from the 23 local government areas of the state against the government, if the governor fails to act.

Matazu said: “Fundamentally, we are talking of the governor’s failure to fulfill his campaign promises. For three years, he has not given scholarships to students in the state.

“When El-Rufai spoke at the Zaria Education Development Association (ZEDA), he described scholarship as 419. But when he graduated on scholarship from the Ahmadu Bello University with a first class degree, it was not then 419. Why would he deny us of what he benefitted from?”

He expressed concern that the governor had advised poor people to go to farm, describing education as not meant for everybody.

Matazu described the Kaduna State government’s educational reforms as mere propaganda.

He lamented that some schools in the state still don’t have teachers, after the sacking of former ones and the recruiting of others.

The students pledged solidarity with the Senate for not approving the $350million loans requested by the state government.

The President of Basawa Constituency Students Forum, Mubarak Jidda, also urged campaign to stop the governor from winning the 2019 governorship poll.