NAN-H-25
Scholarship
Makurdi, Nov 9, 2016 (NAN) Gov Samuel Ortom on Wednesday approved the sum of N20 million for the payment of allowances to students on scholarship in the state.
Ortom made the disclosure in Makurdi when the members of National Union of Benue State (NUBESS) organised a peaceful protest over the non-payment of their yearly allowances.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students were being owed five years scholarship allowance by the government, amounting to over N300 million.
NAN reports that each student who is a Benue indigene schooling in any high institution, under the scholarship scheme, is entitled to collect N5,500 yearly from the board.
The governor directed the commissioners for Education and Finance to work with the leadership of the Union to draw up the modalities for the payments and list of beneficiaries.
He said that the issue of scholarship arrears started with the previous administration, promising that he would ensure that all scholarship arrears are paid as soon as the economy improves.
Earlier, Vincent Iorshe, who spoke for the National Union of Benue State Students (NUBESS), said that they were protesting the non-payment of their five years scholarship allowances.
Iorshe disclosed that the arrears was around N368 million and the situation was becoming worrisome.
NAN reports that protests by students started during the last administration, when they complained of non-payment of three years allowances.
AEB/SOA
=========
Edited by Oluwole Sogunle