rom Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Wednesday, December 16, 2009


Bayelsa State Governor, Sylva
Photo: Sun News Publishing
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Bayelsa students studying in Russia threw caution to the wind last Monday and went on rampage at the Nigerian Embassy over their poor conditions of living.

According to reports the students invaded the embassy with the aim of causing destruction to draw attention to their plight in Russia.
Sources said it took the intervention of senior Embassy officials to appeal to them to sheathe their swords.

In a Save-Our-Soul (SOS) message sent via internet to journalists and prominent Bayelsans, the students from Russia and Belarus heaped their problems at the door steps of the administration of Governor Timipre Sylva.

They alleged that since September 2009, they have been kept on the waiting list while their living condition deteriorates by the day. Appealing to Bayelsans to prevail on Sylva and rescue the 150 students, they said they have already become the laughing stock of other Nigerians in Russia and Belarus as most of them have taken to begging.

The letter reads in part: “Also, disturbing is the fact that most of the students now have taken to begging on the streets for survival-our girls though natural endowed with the human resources have show more constrains, but if the situation persist, the urge for survival could sometime be a strong force to resist-hunger has its way of giving boldness. We have been feeding purely on bread and water (that is when available) for more than three months now-thanks to Sylva. We have been kept in suspense since the beginning of September 2009. How long it will persist is uncertain.”


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/dec/16/national-16-12-2009-18.htm