Efio-Ita Nyok|31 March 2016|5:52am
*CRS International Students On Scholarship Still Stranded —Ifere Paul
The Cross River State government is still playing deaf and dumb with many international students on scholarship abroad. This is coming almost 1 month and a half of fake hopes given to them by SA on Diaspora Affairs to the Governor, one Dr Mathew Okiri.
The students of CRS studying in Russia Federation had earlier written a petition to the governor begging him to hasten up and attend to their needs. One of the student who is in Nigeria right now said that it has not been easy getting support to go back to school since the semester started since 1st of March. Talking with me on Facebook chat, the student begged that I book a ticket for his return back to Russia.
Another student from Ukraine had earlier requested that I assist him with an airfare when he visited me in Abuja. He told me that many of his school mates are hold up here in Nigeria from resuming lectures because their parents cannot afford the cost of sending them back to school in foreign lands.
The governor and his entire executive council have been dodging the press over this issue. The said Dr Okiri who promised to resolve the issue with the governor has not made a public statement whether the governor has committed monies into the international scholarship board or not.
As at the time I'm posting this article, the Cross River State Scholarship Board refused to answer questions. Saying that, "the board does not collect funds on behalf of students any longer. That since 2011, the office of the governor has been responsible for such matters".
I want to appeal to relevant authorities to take charge of their responsibilities. We cannot be talking about a superhighway worth trillion of Naira without putting education of our scholars abroad foremost.
Ifere Paul
Is an Environmental Activist & Public Policy Analyst
