Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, a pro-democracy and environmental rights advocacy group has expressed concerned over the silence maintained by the education committees of the Senate and House of Representatives towards the omission of Southeast universities from the disbursement of loans to students across 19 tertiary institutions in the federation under the recently launched Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND.
The pro-democracy group in a statement signed by Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, Executive Director, on Tuesday said the only legislative intervention so far recorded has been from the Southeast National Assembly caucus.
FENRAD recalls that during the Jonathan presidency, the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovations and Development, PRESSID was launched to place qualified first-class graduates of the nation on scholarship abroad, who were to be absorbed back into Nigeria’s cadre forming the potential drivers and agents of development.
But the scheme was eventually stopped by the Buhari presidency because it was alleged that the North was not adequately captured in the programme.
The statement read, “Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, a pro-democracy and environmental rights advocacy group in Abia State is concerned about the silence maintained by the education committees of the two-chamber parliament (the House of Representatives and Senate) towards the omission of Southeast universities from the disbursement of loans to students across 19 tertiary institutions in the federation under the recently launched Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND.
“While this is worrisome, the Foundation regrets that the only legislative intervention so far recorded has been from the Southeast National Assembly caucus, even when intervention of the whole house or education committee of either chamber could have given the issue a national appeal, providing assurance to the people, most importantly student applicants, from the region that there was no sinister plot to marginalise, exclude or relegate it, as has been the case hitherto.
“FENRAD recalls that during the Jonathan presidency, the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovations and Development, PRESSID was launched to place qualified first-class graduates of the nation on scholarship abroad, who were to be absorbed back into Nigeria’s cadre forming the potential drivers and agents of development.
“Sadly for the region, when the Buhari presidency got sworn in in 2015, the president stopped the scheme because the North was not adequately captured in the programme, as alleged.
“This was how Nigeria jettisoned competence for a parochial pursuit.
“FENRAD recalls that a majority of those affected by the scrapping of PRESSID were Southeasterners who had already secured admission to further their studies in universities abroad.
“Had the basis for qualification been catchment or quota, perhaps the scheme would not have been revoked.
“Following the unceremonious end of PRESSID, another tertiary education policy was inaugurated under Buhari, this time by name: ‘Education for Change; Ministerial Plan 2018-2022’.
“Under this policy, 10 specialised universities were, in 2021, built by the federal government across the thirty-six states in Nigeria with none sited in the Southeast.
“This exclusion was later attenuated by the claim that Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) was to benefit from an ongoing federal government upgrade. Not much could be said of this upgrade years after.
“FENRAD also regrets the fact that some universities in the Southeast have yet to complete their verification to enable them to have full access to NELFUND, with some Southeast universities like Enugu State University of Technology, ESUT that actually did their verification still complaining of technical glitches for weeks until Friday of last week when this matter had already dominated all news platforms.
“Also concerning is the fact that of the over 27,000 students who benefited from the Fund so far, none is from the Southeast, as alleged in the caucus’ release cited by the Foundation in the Punch Newspaper of today (August 26, 2024).
“This, if proven to be true, further begs the question whether the policy is inclusion-driven as there are students from the Southeast region schooling in the listed institutions, given that they may be indigent Nigerian students or from underprivileged background, why were they missing from the list, as alleged in the caucus’ release?.
“The Foundation is not unaware of previous exclusionary practices of the past, and so calls on the federal government to see to it that students and schools from the region benefit from the scheme.
“This, the Foundation says, cannot address gaps in education as many Southeast households are in need of funds for tertiary education of members.
“Already, the Southeast, just like other regions, is expected to contribute to the scheme since federal revenue generating agencies like the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Nigeria Customs and Nigeria Immigration Service, and the EFCC are remitting money to the Fund.
“It is common knowledge that businesses registered or domiciled in the Southeast are taxed by the named agencies, with VAT and other taxes coming from the region, so leaving the region out is unpopular.
“Again, it should be a concern to federal lawmakers, especially as some members are already canvassing people in the region and putting out the narrative that the current APC-led federal government is pro-Southeast.
“The Foundation challenges the federal lawmakers, especially those whose trade recently became pontificating how the president and the APC are acting in the interest of the Southeast.
“FENRAD calls for mass education to enlighten the region to the need to access all federal government packages, whether grants, palliatives, and other intervention and support programmes. The region cannot afford to exclude itself again.
“Lastly, to all those who are championing the pro-Southeast cause of the federal government, the Foundation says: the time to speak out is now. If not, let your silence be forever observed”.
But reacting to the allegations of marginalization of universities from the South East over the disbursement (NELFUND) said that it has not received any response from the institutions in the South-East concerning the verification of their students.
NELFUND disclosed this on Friday on its X platform while responding to the reason institutions in the South East are yet to get disbursed.
“It’s important to clarify that geopolitical zones are not a factor in the disbursement process. NELFUND sent a verification list to every institution eligible for disbursement. Payments are being made to institutions that have responded to this verification.
“Unfortunately, we have not yet received any response from the institutions in the South-East. We urge these institutions to complete the verification process so that their students can benefit from the scheme,” NELFUND responded.