Nigerian students under the Bilateral Educational Agreement (BEA) scholarship in China have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to come to their aid on the issue of unpaid allowances.
In an open letter written by the students under the aegis of the Association of Nigerian Students in China (ANSIC) made available to Daily Trust on Sunday, noted that the students are yet to receive any payment since January 2015.
This delayed payment has been a perennial issue for years, with scholars having to wait for close to six months at minimum before their stipends are paid by the Federal Scholarship Board, the students stated.
It said: “All the 27 BEA students in China are yet to be paid a ‘kobo’ since January 2015. They include eight students who graduated in July 2015, majority of whom had to borrow money to buy their return tickets at the risk of almost being deported due to the close expiration dates of their visas.”
The situation, according to the students, impedes their academic, social and emotional welfare as it is their major means of sustenance.
“Students cannot fend for themselves as the policy in China, like many other similar countries, prohibits any form of paid work by foreign students, especially those on scholarship,” they said.
The students said they are forced to reach out to the president out of frustration and after exploring all available formal means of resolving the quagmire was to no avail.
