NATIONAL UNION OF RIVERS STATE STUDENTS (NURSS)
NATIONAL SECRETARIAT (WORLDWIDE)
05-08-2020

PRESS STATEMENT:

THANK YOU, YOUR EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR.

The President, National Union of Rivers State Students, Zachariah Levi George has expressed deep gratitude[b][/b][b][/b] and appreciation to President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, [b]His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, [/b]for the swift intervention and subsequently, ordering the Niger Delta Development Commision alias NDDC to pay all allowances owed to the students studying abroad under it's scholarship scheme.

You will recall that over 210 students were affected and nine months after resumption, the scholars spread across the UK, US, Canada, and other parts of the world are yet to receive payment for their tuition and living costs. The take-off grant of N500,000, which should have been paid before they left Nigeria in September 2019. However, this was paid eight months later in April 2020.

Zachariah said: "Loans were taken and personal accounts where emptied to raise funds from families while relying on the promises of the NDDC and the Federal Government, to make the journey to their various institutions. Some are still stranded at home, because they were not able to raise the funds for their visa applications and flight tickets."

The NURSS President added that most scholars resorted to doing menial jobs to raise funds for their programmes, stressing that the COVID-19 pandemic had blocked all avenues for income. He branded the situation as 'disheartening and a national embarrassment':

"The hardship the students encountered shouldn't have been allowed to happen in the first place and in many occasions the young lads resorted to doing menial and casual jobs, just so they can continue their studies and ensure their survival too. This situation was even made worse as the pandemic bit hard on the economies of the countries they were studying even as businesses closed down and lockdown measures were implemented.

I want to heartily thank His Excellency, President Mahummadu Buhari, GCFR, for the timely and proactive action taken towards ensuring the challenges faced by Niger Delta Students studying abroad becomes a thing of the past. I am overjoyed on the order that all outstanding payments should be made to the beneficiaries on or before Friday this week. I am calling on NDDC to ensure that the order is judiciously carried out without any further delay. I am also making my sincerest entreatment that such ugly incidence should not repeat itself in the future" He concluded.

Gideon Murray Jnr
Chief Press Secretary, NURSS, Worldwide.
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