NDDC scholars in the diaspora want their allowances to be paid

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is yet to pay about 80 scholarship holders of 2016 set in the Diaspora their allowances. Also, the 2015 PhD students have not been paid their allowances for the second year. Before they left the country the NDDC promised to pay them in batches but up till now they have not been paid.

Spokesperson of the NNDC foreign post graduate scholars, Ifeoluwa Ayodeji who is currently undergoing his PhD in University of South Florida in America says that the NDDC has stopped paying his and other scholars’ school fees and appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene so that they would not lose their studentship. “Without a doubt, foreign training, with other student exchange/ bi-lateral programmes between home countries and foreign institutions is one of the key drivers to developing the education sector of a country. The long-term and sustainable impacts cannot be underestimated especially in a country like Nigeria, whose fate of scientific and technological innovation is at a bleak.”

Another PhD student also complained that the 2015 PhD students of NDDC have not been paid for the second year. “My set is 2016 both Masters and PhD students were 200 in number and most of us have not been paid. 32 scholars were paid in March, another 80 were partly paid in July/ August. Partly paid because some received upkeep without tuition. Some of us resumed September last year others resumed in January this year.”

“Some scholars are in Australia, Canada, Scotland and South Africa..though 80% are in UK.”