It's not peculiar to a few of us. No scholar that started in January 2016 has been paid, and we are over a 100. And just a handful of September 2015 starters has received their maintenance fee.

rexington:
pls op if u have this problem then it is peculiar to u or a few set of scholars. I am one of those scholar though i had to defer for one year but as i speak to u all my entitlements save for my upkeep (which can only be paid to ur UK account) has been paid even the 500,000 naira. It is true that there was delay but they paid about a month ago. There is an existing facebook and whatsapp page for 2015/16 scholars, you can find out from our other colleagues.

We are students in several countries in Europe and America, studying under the NDDC postgraduate scholarship scheme. We began studies in September 2015 and January 2016. Up till now, not a dime has been remitted to us for our daily living expenses. 


Scholars are going through severe hardship due to the fact that they can barely feed nor pay bills in these foreign countries. We have made several efforts to reach the management of NDDC, sent several mails and gotten family members back home to go to the NDDC Headquarters in Port Harcourt to make inquiries. Most times, these efforts were greeted with harsh responses and staff of the NDDC education department claiming not to know anything about payment process. 


They never minced words in telling us how disturbed they feel, by our incessant calls and mails. Most times, they refuse to acknowledge our calls and mails to official lines and the few times we get through to them, we get yelled at. 


We have been practically pushed to the wall, therefore, we have resorted to making our pains public. We want to bring to the view of the general public, the immense corruption, bureaucracy, nonchalant and negligent attitude of the members of the NDDC workforce. Scholars who are meant to spend quality time in the library doing research have become laborers and minimum wage staff in various ware houses and care homes in foreign countries, in other to make ends meet to the detriment of their studies. September 2015 scholars, who are undergoing a masters program will be rounding up in less than 3 months, most of them have already accrued huge debts in a bid to feed and have shelter in school.


The baffling part of this mirage is the fact that NDDC has began a new batch of scholarship program for 2017. The Computer Based Test and interview for the new scholars holds in June. This is very unacceptable, due to the fact that September 2015 scholars and January 2016 scholars have not been paid a dime with which to feed and stay alive in school. If not for their selfish gains, (their 'cuts' from the new fund that will be released for 2017 scholarship scheme), there is absolutely no reason why another batch of scholars should be sent to immense suffering, when about 300 present scholars are yet to be paid.


In as much as we thank the Nigerian Government for giving us the opportunity to study overseas, we kindly demand that our funds be paid to us to alleviate out sufferings in the shortest possible time. We call on all well-meaning Nigerians and activists to throw their weight behind us and speak on our behalf, against the ill-treatment being meted out to us by NDDC which of course has been a trend that should be halted with immediate effect. 


Regards

from NDDC 2015 SCHOLARS OF SEPTEMBER 2015 AND JANUARY 2016

I write on behalf of NDDC 2015 Scholars who left NIGERIA in September / October 2015 with hopes of getting paid the sum of $30,000 and an additional N500,000 as take-off grant as stated in our scholarship agreement with the NDDC scholarship board.

As to why we were not paid before our departure, the board told us to 'be patient'. They asked us to borrow funds or find alternatives means to gather money and when they pay us we can then offset our debts. The issue with this is that many of us are from indigent homes. How do we get the funds in the first place If we had those alternatives, will we even be applying for a scholarship? As a result of this, many deferred their admission.

Quite a number of us left to various countries. It's sad to say that the 'first batch' of payment was only made in March to a select 'first batch' of people - that's 6 months after a lot of us resumed school. Many of us who are categorised as 'second batch' have not received either our fees, allowances or even take off grant.

As a result of this, many of us have had to live in uncomfortable housing situations, beg, borrow or work the whole 20 hours a week, as granted on our visa, and often get too tired to even read. Some have been restricted from participation in university activities due to delayed payment of fees. This is a pitiable situation, we have written numerous letters to the Acting DG of NDDC- Mrs Ibim, we have also written to Mrs Sotonye Ordor with no response. Some NDDC staff and consultants simply ask us to 'be patient'...9 months on.

The shocking part of it all is that UK based student who has been paid, get paid between £19,000 - £19, 300 which is not a reflection of the current or even past exchange rate for a scholarship of $30,000.

We demand our money, We demand our Right/Privilege.