The postgraduate scholars of the Niger Delta Development Commission have lamented over the commission’s refusal to follow the directive of the President in offsetting their payment.
They said this through their official social media page countering the news making round that they have been paid.
They also lamented that most of the beneficiaries of the scholarship have been logged out of their schools over none payment of dues and called on the NDDC to fulfil the President’s directive.
The statement reads below;
STATEMENT: #NDDC IS YET TO PAY US – SCHOLARS
In the past few days, the media has been filled with news that #NDDC has complied with the @NGRPresident’s directive & its statutory obligations by paying the outstanding fees & upkeep of scholars on its Postgraduate Scholarship
We wish to state that the facts as put out by the media about payments are NOT entirely correct.
To put things in perspective, this year @NDDCOnline was indebted to #PayNDDCScholars the tuition fees & upkeep of 3 sets of scholars.
The @NDDCOnline was indebted to #PayNDDCScholars the tuition fees & upkeep of beneficiaries of 2016 (PhDs), 2018 (Masters and PhDs) & 2019 (Masters and PhDs) scholarship schemes. It is NOT true that NDDC has paid all its scholars.
About 2 weeks ago, the #NDDC partially complied with the Presidential Directive by selectively paying only the 2016 PhDs and some of the 2019 Scholars. Entirely leaving out others and ALL the 2018 outstanding scholars. Our position is that paying some scholars and leaving others is SELECTIVE and UNFAIR. While these selective payments were even yet to be fully effected, the media & @NDDCOnline hurriedly began pushing information that the #NDDC has paid its scholars.
Out of more than 3 sets of scholars, the NDDC has not paid any one of the 2018 scholars. The @NDDCOnline by its own statement even admitted that over 94 scholars were yet unpaid.
#PayNDDCScholars #GetInvolvedThe #NDDC has refused to communicate to the unpaid scholars or their schools when the upkeep or tuition fees will be paid. Neither has the @ProfPondei-led IMC done so. This is in spite of the challenging times brought by #COVID.
Presently some of the 2018 and 2019 Masters scholars are graduating or due for graduation & will definitely have their results & transcripts withheld by their scholars due to the non-payment of their tuition fees by the @NDDCOnline While some has since been logged out of their school & therefore could not take exams or assessments. The scholars are indebted both at home & abroad due to failure to pay their fees & upkeep.
#PayNDDCScholars #GetInvolvedWe urge the @cenbank & #NDDC to live up to their billing, comply with Pres. @MBuhari’s directive & #PayNDDCScholars many of whom have been abandoned by the Nigerian state for the past 24months.
Signed by
@2018Nddc
@2019Nddc
