Senate summons agencies over alleged unpaid stipends for scholarship beneficiaries abroad

The Senate yesterday summoned the relevant agencies offering scholarships to Nigerian students abroad over alleged unpaid fees and stipends to the beneficiaries.

The resolution followed a point of order raised at plenary by the Chief Whip, Olushola Adeyeye, wherein he noted that the development was subjecting the citizens to untold hardship.

He explained that the tour of Russia last week by some senators revealed that the incident had led to some of the beneficiaries resorting to undignified activities for survival.

Adeyeye said: “The students’ stipends and fees have not been paid for months. This has become most embarrassing. We should not allow that to continue.”

He stressed that the matter had gone beyond the chamber’s Committee on Tertiary Education and TetFund hence the intervention of the entire house.

The lawmaker continued: “ I propose that the various agencies of government responsible for scholarships should meet with the Senate President to resolve and rescue the students and the country from further embarrassment.”

Others who spoke in support said there was need to take urgent steps in addressing the situation.

Senator Albert Bassey reminded the chamber of “an intervention by a Nigerian in Russia when the Niger Delta Amnesty students locked down the nation’s embassy in Moscow to save the country from that embarrassment in 2013.”

He, however, regretted that the Nigerian was yet to be refunded his 217 million by the Amnesty Programme.

Also, yesterday, some senators donated 1,270 bags of rice and fertiliser to ameliorate the plight of the civil servants in Kogi State.

The gesture was consequent upon a point of order raised by Dino Melaye (APC Kogi West).

In his debate, he said the development, if not checked, was capable of making the state ungovernable.

He cited the death of a worker who reportedly killed himself over his inability to offset the medical bill of his spouse that was recently delivered of triplets.

Melaye also reminded the chamber of another civil servant who died of frustration for not being able to take of the medication of his son that later died.