President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday ordered the Niger Delta Development Commission to pay its beneficiaries of scholarship studying outside the shores of the country.
This was contained in a statement signed by the NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili on Tuesday.
The statement titled ‘NDDC invites President Buhari to Commission Signature Project’ directed that all monies owed the scholars be paid immediately.
Odili said that the directive from Buhari was issued to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The presidential order is coming barely 24 hours after the abandoned students protested at the Nigeria High Commission office in London.
The NDDC Director emphasised that scholars who are facing hardships abroad would be paid before the week runs out.
He explained that the delay was as a result of the sudden death of Chief Ibanga Etang, who before his demise was the Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, EDFA, of the commission in May.
The statement quoted Odili as saying, “Under the Commission’s finance protocol, only the Executive Director (Finance) and the Executive Director (Projects) can sign for the release of funds from the Commission’s domiciliary accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“With the death of Chief Etang, the remittance has to await the appointment of a new EDFA.
“Senator Akpabio, the Honourable Minister, said President Buhari who has been briefed on the protest by students at the Nigerian High Commission in London, has ordered that all stops be pulled to pay the students by the end of this week. We expect a new EDFA to be appointed this week. As soon as that is done, they would all be paid.”
