93 Zamfara State Students Stranded in Cyprus, Government Alleges Negligence by Matawalle’s Administration

The Zamfara State government has raised concern over its 93 students stranded at the Cyprus International University over improper documentation.

The government, which blamed the crisis on the previous administration of Bello Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence, said the tuition fees, accommodation and feeding allowances of the students were not paid to the University authorities, thereby exposing them to hardships and difficult conditions.

The Zamfara State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Wadatau Madawaki, at a press conference in Abuja, said right from the beginning, there was no documentary evidence showing Memorandum of Understanding between the University and the previous administration as the students were simply left at the mercy of the University authorities in Cyprus.

He, however, said the State government has paid some money as part payment for the tuition fees, pending reconciliation of accounts, between three to six months accommodation and other debts.

Madawaki said, “The attention of the present administration under the able leadership of His Excellency, Dauda Lawal, has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced by Zamfara State students sponsored by the previous administration led by the former Governor of the State, His Excellency, Alhaji Bello Muhammed Matawalle to study different courses at the Cyprus International University.

“In the spirit of fairness and just balancing, the attention of Zamfara State government and in particular, the State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and or its parastatal, that is Zamfara State Scholarship Board should give its own side of the story.

“The main reason for the convocation of this conference is to “Put the records straight and disabuse the minds of the general public, most especially the parents” of those students sent to study at the Cyprus International University by the previous administration. For the avoidance of doubt and as was earlier mentioned, the administration of former Governor Bello Muhammed Matawalle sponsored ninety three (93) Zamfara indigenes to study different courses at the Cyprus International University in the year 2020.

“However, right from the beginning the process was fraught with dishonesty and outright selfishness as there is “No documentary evidence” of any type showing “Memorandum of Understanding”, signed between the University and the previous administration that sponsored the students.

All records available to the present administration at the Ministry of Education, Scholarship Board and the University showed that a “Consultant” was hired who negotiated between the previous administration and the university, processed admissions and traveling documents for the students and delivered them to the university authority. In the negotiation, it was arranged that the students would be in a system that is tagged “Full package”.

“In that arrangement, the students’ accommodation and feeding were handed over to the university authority and that whether the students ate meal or not for whatever reason, they will be charged by the school authority as having eaten. That was a very unfair arrangement that has formed part of the difficulties faced by the students. From the year 2022, the previous administration of Governor Bello Matawalle abdicated from its responsibilities of funding the students’ studies at the Cyprus International University as tuition fees, accommodation and feeding allowances were not paid to the university authorities thereby exposing the students to hardships and difficult conditions. That by extension caused the accumulation of huge debt by the previous administration which continued up to the end of its life span Monday, May 29th 2023.

“It is on the unfortunate lack of legal and binding agreement between the previous administration and the university authority that exposed the students to unwanted and unwarranted bad treatment by the university, since there was no signed document that outlined responsibilities of each party with regards to the students stay in the University.

They were simply left at the “mercy” of the university authorities by unpatriotic elements who cashed in on the poor arrangement to make fast money. Five (5) out of the ninety three(93)students left the university, remaining eighty eight (88).

“After the inception of the present administration of Governor Dauda Lawal, his attention was drawn to the difficult situation being faced by the students in Cyprus. His Excellency, Dauda Lawal quickly swung into action and directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to engage with the university and find out what was the burden of debt being owed by the State Government. The Secretary to the state government arranged a zoom meeting with the university authorities and it was at that point the rot manifested itself as the University presented an outrageous debt profile owed by the government.”

The University authorities were said to have presented a debt of tuition fees being owed by the government even when they knew they had stopped the students from attending lectures for almost one year.

Also, the University authorities charged the government feeding money for the students even when they knew that they had not taken a meal for almost one year as their feeding was tied to their stay in the accommodation.

Moreover, the University authorities charged the government the fees (both accommodation and feeding) of the five (5) students even when they knew that they had left the University.

The present administration refused to accept what the University presented as it was meant to dubiously short change the government.

“However, in order to demonstrate its willingness and sincerity in addressing and resolving the issues, the Commissioner said the present administration intervened and took bold steps.

Friday Olokor

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