Ganduje approves N258m to settle fees of 43 students in Egypt

Kano state governor Abdullahi Ganduje has approved more than N257 million to pay tuition for 43 Kano students at two Egyptian universities.

These students are made up of 37 at Mansoura University, Egypt and 6 at October 6 University, Egypt.

• Ganduje pays N300m allowance to Kano students in Sudan varsity
• Sudan varsity bars Kano students from classes over fees

The Chief Press secretary to the state governor, Abba Anwar in a statement said the government is determined to shape the future of Kano students studying at Mansoura University, Egypt, despite their ” being delved into politics”.

“Sometimes last year, governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje applied large heart and pardoned the 37 students and released the sum of N209,596,633.00k for the payment of their outstanding tuition and maintenance fees” .

He said, these students had written an apology letter to the governor, regretting their action.

In the letter Anwar quoted the students as “We are the 37 students of Mansoura University, who were earlier removed from the government’s sponsorship due to some misinformation communicated between the University authorities and the government. That misinformation had generated some sequence of events which led to the government’s decision to bring us back home.”

“We know our issues had generated a lot of politicking and controversies in the past. Some political actors have used us in order to achieve their political ambition. The former governor of Kano state had even promised to continue with our sponsorship to the end of our studies, but he failed to do so.”

“But now, we understand and we have come forth to accept all our mistakes and apologise for all the wrongdoings done to the government in our names. We have been foolish and naive. And we hope Your Excellency will forgive us. So we solicit the kind gesture of Your Excellency to rescue our lives as sons and daughters and indigenes of Kano state,” he added

Anwar said, not only Mansoura University students did governor Ganduje attended to but also released the sum of N48,220,002.00, being outstanding tuition and maintenance fees in respect of 6 sponsored students of October 6 University, Egypt.

That makes the total sum of N257,812,635.00 for students at the two Egyptian universities.

“To also ameliorate the suffering internal students may face after COVID-19, governor Ganduje pledged upward review of students scholarship allowances. An exercise that eluded the state for the past 15 years.

“Part of the process in making all the necessary preparations for smooth payment of allowances the State Scholarship Board, has since ordered for the sale of Scratch Card, which shows that time would not be wasted when schools reopened” he added ‎

It could be recalled that the issue of this Kano students studying in Egyptian universities have been a tensed political issue between the Ganduje and former governor Kwankwaso administration.