By Joseph Erunke, Abuja
The National Association of Nigerian Students ,NANS, has issued a stern warning to the Federal Government and the management of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund ,NELFUND, demanding the immediate release of outstanding students’ upkeep allowances or risk a nationwide mass action that could culminate in the occupation of the agency’s headquarters.
In a strongly worded statement released on Saturday, NANS President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, expressed outrage over what he described as a prolonged and unexplained delay in the disbursement of upkeep allowances to thousands of student beneficiaries across the country.
According to the student body, the allowances, which form a critical component of the NELFUND support scheme, have allegedly not been paid for the past two months, leaving many students struggling to cope with rising living costs amid the nation’s economic challenges.
NANS said it had received numerous complaints from affected students and accused the relevant authorities of failing to provide clear explanations for the disruption in payments.
“The continued delay in the disbursement of these allowances is completely unacceptable,” Akinteye declared.
He added:“The essence of the NELFUND initiative is to provide relief and support to Nigerian students. Any delay that deprives beneficiaries of access to these funds defeats the purpose for which the programme was established.”
The students’ association called on the Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, to urgently intervene and remove all bottlenecks responsible for the payment delays.
NANS further demanded immediate disbursement of all outstanding allowances and a transparent explanation from the authorities on the cause of the disruption.
The association warned that failure to address the issue promptly could trigger peaceful nationwide protests by students, including the occupation of the NELFUND headquarters, until concrete action is taken.
“Failure to resolve the matter within the shortest possible time will leave Nigerian students with no option but to embark on peaceful mass action,” the statement said.
While stressing that its position should not be viewed as a threat, NANS maintained that the warning reflects the growing frustration among students whose welfare and academic pursuits are being negatively affected by the delay.
The development is likely to pile fresh pressure on the Federal Government’s flagship student financing programme, which was introduced to ease access to higher education and cushion the impact of economic hardship on students.
As concerns continue to mount among beneficiaries, stakeholders are expected to look to NELFUND and relevant government agencies for swift action to avert a looming confrontation with the nation’s student population.
