Lawmakers from the South-East geopolitical zone of the National Assembly have voiced their dissatisfaction over the exclusion of tertiary institutions from their region in the Federal Government’s student loan programme.
News360 Info reports that on Friday, Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) stated it had distributed ₦2,946,927,155 (Two billion, Nine hundred and Forty-six million, Nine hundred and Twenty-seven thousand, One hundred and fifty-five naira) to 27,667 students from 19 federal universities, with no institutions from the South-East on the list.
NELFUND however explained that South-East students are yet to benefit from the federal government’s student loan programme because no South-East federal high institution complied with the directive required for students to access the loan.
The list, which has triggered backlash from Ndi Igbo, led to a statement from the South East caucus on Sunday, where leaders Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Hon. Igariwey Iduma Enwo called on NELFUND to swiftly address this alleged injustice.
The caucus expressed disbelief that no institution from the entire South East was included in the scheme, dismissing NELFUND’s explanation as inadequate.
The South-East NASS caucus emphasized that it would not tolerate any attempt to deprive students from the zone of their rights or benefits.
A portion of the statement released to the media reads: “The attention of the South East caucus of the National Assembly has been drawn to the glaring absence of beneficiaries from South East tertiary institutions in the list of beneficiaries of the students’ loan being disbursed on behalf of the Federal Government by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
With a total of N2,946,927,155 already disbursed to 27,667 from 19 institutions in the country, South East higher institutions were conspicuously missing from the list.
In its defence, NELFUND has stated that the absence of beneficiaries from South East institutions was because even though verification lists have been sent to all schools, South East institutions are yet to respond to their request for the verification of the lists sent to them.
Consequently, the South East caucus of the National Assembly, wishes to urge tertiary institutions in the South East to comply with the verification request by NELFUND, so that our children can benefit from this national programme. We also wish to encourage all South East students who need this support to ensure they apply.
This is important as it can help ameliorate some of the challenges limiting access to higher education, which we must all agree is critical to self-development and growth.
It is important that as a people, we do not intentionally marginalise ourselves from opportunities which are open to all Nigerians.
Those opportunities are our right and we must, like others, demand for what rightfully belongs to us.”
