NiDCOM boss appeals to NDDC to pay stranded Nigerian students in UK

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Chair and CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has appealed to the authorities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to, as a matter of urgency, intervene by promptly paying the allowances, tuition and other incentives of students on foreign scholarships in the United Kingdom in order to guarantee their stay and continue their education abroad.

She made the appeal Tuesday in a statement issued by Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations and Protocol Unit, NiDCOM.

The Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) had been under probe recently with the Senate ordering it to refund the N4.923 billion alleged illegal payments made to the staff of the commission and contractors in breach of the procurement process.

Recalled that the Executive Director on Project in NDDC, Cairo Ojougboh, had recently said in a television interview that the money paid into his account was for a trip to see the commission’s graduating students oversea.

Dabiri-Erewa in the press release made reference to a letter written to the Minister of the Niger Delta Godswill Akpabio, dated June 18, 2020, NIDC/001/20/1 drawing attention to the plight of the students and urging the NDDC who are directly responsible for the Students’ scholarships to pay.

Dabiri-Erewa added that the Commission counts on the Minister’s assurances that all outstanding payments to affected Students will be made.

‘At the moment there have been persistent calls by the Students for urgent intervention.

‘While the deadline for payment of the fees of some of the students has expired or about to expire, non-payment of their allowances have turned many of them to virtually become beggars.

‘The NiDCOM Chairman once again appealed to the Niger Delta Ministry and the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to intervene urgently and promptly too,’ the statement added.