The Nigerian BEA Scholars under the Union of Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars (UNBEAS) have called on the federal government to immediately ensure the full release of the 14-month stipends owed to the scholars in Hungary, Morocco, China, Serbia, Algeria, Venezuela, and Russia.
The constant delays in scholarship payments, they said, have forced many of them into severe hardship and hard labour in faraway countries to make ends meet.
UNBEAS, in statement said this has certainly affected their academic performance including house rent and other utilities, while food, and transportation have become unaffordable for the average FG scholar who has been owed since July 2023.
“We have continued to appeal to the President, Pres. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the Ministry of Education to facilitate the payment of stipends, but to no avail. The union has received reports of suicide attempts by some scholars, while others are being threatened with legal action by their landlords and/or creditors for non-payment of their loans/house rent.
“Recall that the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) memo sent to us and dated July 23, the director FSB communicated an adjustment of 56% cut from the monthly stipends of 2024 due to the domestic exchange rate, as sad as this sounds to the ears of the scholars, the scholars hoped that the slashed amount will be paid as soon as possible to provide temporary relief.
“Unfortunately, one month later, we have yet to receive the reduced amount. According to information received from the FSB, the funds were sent to the CBN for onward transmission to the various embassies, which have not received the payment till date. All efforts to contact the CBN on the status of the payment proved abortive.
“We are therefore using this medium not only to call on the CBN to ensure the payment of these slashed stipends but also to call on the Hon. Minister of Edu. Prof. Tahir Mamman, CON to as a matter of urgency ensure the release of the completion of the slashed 2024 stipends and the 6 months of 2023 stipends owed the scholars.
“We implore the Presidency and the entire Nigerian Federal Government to recognize that we are not just the future of this nation, we are its very lifeblood. To forsake us now is to condemn us to a life in the shadows, a life where hope withers and dies. The torment we have endured, unpaid and neglected since July 2023 has already pushed many to the brink.
Another day of delay will not just deepen our suffering; it will seal the fate of those most vulnerable among us, including orphans and those without any support. The blood of innocent scholars will be on your hands,” it said.
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