The South East Caucus of the National Assembly has protested against the reported non-inclusion of tertiary institutions from the zone in the federal government student loan scheme.
In a statement issued Sunday (yesterday, August 25), by its leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, and his House of Representatives counterpart, Hon. Igariwey Iduma Enwo, the group called on the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to quickly redress the anomaly.
Warning that it would not tolerate any attempt to shortchange students from the zone or deny them their rights, the Caucus wondered how no institution from the entire South East was considered for the scheme, dismissing the excuse by NELFUND that no institution from the zone returned the verification list sent to them, as flimsy.
“The attention of the South East caucus of the National Assembly has been drawn to the glaring absence of beneficiaries from South East tertiary institutions in the list of beneficiaries of the students’ loan being disbursed on behalf of the Federal Government by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND),” the statement read, in part, continuing:
“With a total of N2,946,927,155 already disbursed to 27,667 from 19 institutions in the country, South East higher institutions were conspicuously missing from the list. In its defence, NELFUND has stated that the absence of beneficiaries from South East institutions was because even though verification lists have been sent to all schools, South East institutions are yet to respond to their request for the verification of the lists sent to them.
“Consequently, the South East caucus of the National Assembly wishes to urge tertiary institutions in the South East to comply with the verification request by NELFUND, so that our children can benefit from this national programme. We also wish to encourage all South East students who need this support to ensure they apply.
“It is important that as a people, we do not intentionally marginalise ourselves from opportunities which are open to all Nigerians. Those opportunities are our right and we must, like others, demand for what rightfully belongs to us.”
