Education: Sokoto Releases N212m For Payment Of Foreign Scholarship

Governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
has approved the sum of N212m for immediate payment of entitlements of
Sokoto State students studying in Uganda, Sudan and Niger Republic.

The Governor has
also appointed a committee to verify and settle all issues related to payment of
scholarship to Sokoto students in various institutions of higher learning
across Nigeria.

A statement issued in Sokoto
Wednesday by Mr Tambuwal’s spokesman, Imam Imam, said the release of the
funds was part of government’s continued commitment to provide quality
education for its citizens at home and abroad.

A breakdown of the figure shows
that the sum of N163,400,000 has been released for payment of students in Sudan
while those in Uganda will get the sum of N26,840,000. For those in Niger
Republic, the sum of N22,676,700 has been released for their upkeep.

“So far, the Government has paid more than N2.5 billion as scholarship to indigenes of the state since May 2015.

“For State students of other foreign
tertiary institutions, payment is being worked out by the Government, and disbursement
will commence as soon as issues related with forex acquisition has been sorted
out,” the statement added. 

On
issue of settlement of scholarship for students in Nigeria, the statement said
Governor Tambuwal has approved to establishment of a Committee that will “ensure
effective settlement of all the outstanding payments to Tertiary Institutions
in the country.”

The
Committee, to be chaired by Ambassador Abubakar Shehu Wurno, has two retired
Permanent Secretaries, Bello Ibrahim Gusau and Halliru A. Muhammad, as members.

Other
members include the DG of the state Scholarship Board, Murtala Muhammad, the
Principal of State School of Midwifery, Tambuwal, Hajiya Rukayya Sani Rara,  Ibrahim Abdullahi Shuni of the Shehu Shagari
College of Education, Sokoto, Malam Nura Harande Mahe and Ibrahim Umar Tureta.

The
rest of the members include Nasiru Aminu Bazza; the President of the Federation
of Sokoto State Students Association (FOSSOSA), Sirajo Abdullahi; Mufida Hamza,
a student in the Faculty of Law, Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto, and
Abubakar Bello Silame, the Director of Administration in the State Specialist
Hospital who will serve as Secretary of the Committee.

The
statement added that the Committee,
which has three weeks within which to complete its assignment, has the
following as its Terms of Reference:

i) Verify all sponsored students of  Sokoto State origin in tertiary institutions
in Nigeria;

ii) Verify all State
indigenes who applied for State Scholarship;

iii) Establish the cost
implication of the sponsored students per 
institution; 

iv) Establish amount
paid and  owed institutions per academic
session;

v) Any other  information that  will help the 
State Government in redressing the issues/problems of sponsorship and
payment.