House of Representatives has invited the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Andrew Adejo, to brief lawmakers on steps taken to implement the Students Loans Act.
The House Ad-hoc Committee on Students Loans and Access to Higher Education extended the invitation, following the absence of Adejo at a meeting of the panel with the ministry, yesterday.
The chairman of the committee, Hon Terseer Ugbor, expressed dismay at the absence of the permanent secretary despite the invitation sent to him three weeks ago.
Ugbor said the outcome of the interface with the ministry and other stakeholders would equip the committees with adequate information to organise a summit on the Act, taking place August 24.
He said, “We know that under the leadership of our current president, the commitments and the passion they have shown for the issues that have to do with the education sector and they expect to see from the federal ministry of education.
“And we are providing another opportunity to come back again, hopefully this time with more details of what needs to be done, proposed amendments you are suggesting for this student loan act, so that we can facilitate it on behalf of Nigerians.
“So, with that been said, the Committee will go ahead and fix a date for the summit that we are proposing and will begin to work towards convening the summit where all stakeholders in the country will be invited to make proposals and amendments to the act”.
The director Legal Services, Federal Ministry of Education, Enonebi Azorbo, said the ministry will harness all powers at its disposal to lift the barriers for the smooth implementation of the Students Loans Act.
“I would like to say that upon the passage of the Act, Mr President set-up a committee, it is housed in the office of the Chief of Staff to the President and they are working on modalities on the implementation.
“The acting governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the director-general of the Budget Office, permanent secretary Ministry of Education and permanent secretary Ministry of Finance (are members).
“The Act puts limitations on accessing these loans, the Act puts barriers and limits to accessing the loans by parents of the children who should access the loan limit of N500,000 income for families,” Azorbo said.
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