The Zamfara State Government has provided financial aid to students sponsored to Cyprus International University by the previous administration led by former Governor Bello Muhammed Matawalle, expressing concern over the difficulties faced by the students.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mallam Wadatau Madawaki, highlighted the challenges these students encountered, emphasising the need for transparency and accountability.
“The present administration, under the leadership of His Excellency, Dauda Lawal, is committed to addressing the grievances of these students, It is essential to set the record straight and clarify the issues surrounding their sponsorship,” Madawaki stated.
According to him, the Matawalle administration sponsored 93 Zamfara indigenes to study various courses at the university in 2020.
However, he noted that the sponsorship process was marred by “dishonesty and outright selfishness.”
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He criticised the lack of a documented Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and the university, stating, “No documentary evidence exists that outlines the responsibilities of each party in this arrangement.”
The commissioner revealed that a consultant was hired to negotiate the students’ admissions and arrangements with the university, which included a “full package” deal that entailed accommodation and feeding costs being handled by the university.
“Unfortunately, the students were charged for meals they did not receive, and this has contributed to their hardships,” he added.
Madawaki said the challenges worsened in 2022 when the Matawalle administration ceased funding for the students, leaving them to face severe financial constraints and accumulating debts.
“The previous administration left these students at the mercy of the university, which took advantage of the poor arrangement,” Madawaki lamented.
The commissioner pointed out that in response to the situation, Governor Dauda Lawal took significant steps to alleviate the students’ plight, following a meeting with the university officials, the Zamfara State government initiated payments to cover outstanding tuition and accommodation fees.
“On November 13, 2023, we sent N84.7 million to the university as part of the tuition fees. Additionally, N30.9 million was provided to student leaders to cover accommodation costs for the next three to six months,” Madawaki stated.
Despite these efforts, issues with the university’s billing practices persisted, Madawaki said, detailing findings from a recent delegation sent to Cyprus to address these matters.
“We discovered discrepancies in the students’ accounts and that the university had placed students under deportation orders. The Nigerian Embassy is currently addressing this situation with the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he added.
He also pointed out systemic failures within the university’s bursary department, which reportedly withheld crucial information regarding payments and mismanaged student accounts.
“There are elements of dishonesty and insincerity that must be addressed,” he said.
He stressed that in light of these challenges, the Zamfara State government is working diligently to restore normalcy for the affected students, including settling outstanding fees for accommodation and feeding allowances, as well as renewing students’ expired passports and residency permits.
He added that Governor Lawal’s administration has also been commended for addressing outstanding scholarship payments for students in India and those at Crescent University in Abeokuta.
“We are committed to rectifying the wrongs of the past administration,” Maigatari concluded, emphasizing the government’s dedication to supporting the educational aspirations of Zamfara indigenes.
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