94 NDDC students plan protest in UK over unpaid fees

Barring last minute changes , 94 post -graduate students under the Niger Delta Development Commission foreign scholarship in the United Kingdom will today ( Monday ) begin another round of protest over the inability of the agency to pay their tuition .
The students , it was gathered, were likely to march to the Nigerian High Commission in London to express their displeasure over the inability of the commission to offset their fees .
The President , Niger Delta Students ’ Union Government, Negba Goodness , said the development was a continuous embarrassment to the country .
Goodness called on the NDDC to pay up the fees in order to save the country from further international embarrassment.

He stated, “ We are surprised that the NDDC has refused to pay the remaining 94 students on its scholarship even after verification . We knew that the verification was an excuse to escape the payment.
“ Unfortunately , those scholars have decided to protest again at the High Commission in London from Monday ( today) . This is a continuous embarrassment to the nation and deceit to the collective sensibilities of all Niger Deltans , who know that the funds are there to settle these students .
“ As a union , we will not watch our students being stranded because of deliberate efforts of individuals , whose greed have overshadowed their conscience. We will resist all attempts to sweep these issues under the carpet . ”
Meanwhile, the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC said in a statement that it would pay the outstanding scholars’ claims within a week .
The statement signed by the Director , Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili , said the acting Executive Director Projects, NDDC , Dr Cairo Ojougboh , was in London on September 17 , 2020 , with relevant officers of the commission to carry out physical verification , monitoring and evaluation of legitimate students on the scholarship .
“ Having concluded the verification , which involved the registration of all scholars and the confirmation of their claims with the various universities , payment of the outstanding fees are to commence immediately ,” the statement read in part .