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The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) don enter strong investigation against some universities and banks for serious allegation. Dem say these people dey do wayo way prevent students from collecting the money wey Federal Government give for student loan. Dem say the money dey enter voicemail.
Na the same time wey House of Representatives say dem too wan carry their own lens come investigate the matter. Dem hear say some banks and higher schools dey hold students' loan money wey don drop.
All this one start after the National Orientation Agency (NOA) do their own digging and find out say plenty bad things dey happen with how dem dey run this loan thing.
According to wetin NOA's people for ground see, some universities dey join hand with some banks to deliberately hold back the money wey suppose go to students. This one make many students stranded even after NELFUND approve their loan.
Remember say this loan scheme start last year, as part of President Bola Tinubu promise to make higher education easy to get. Government put N35 billion down as starting money.
NELFUND dey run the program, and the idea na to help qualified Nigerian students with money for school fees and living expenses for any recognized higher school or vocational school for Naija.
The plan be say NELFUND go send the school fees direct to the school, and dem go dey pay students N20,000 every month for their upkeep.
But NOA dey shout say some schools, with the help of some banks, dey sabotage the whole thing and dey block students from getting their money.
NOA Deputy Director of Communications and Media, Paul Odenyi, confirm say plenty schools and banks dey involved in this dirty game wey dey stop students from accessing their loan money.
This whole issue come to light when the NOA Director General, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, and the NELFUND Managing Director, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, meet for Abuja last weekend.
Issa-Onilu reveal say their first findings show say some schools dey work with banks to intentionally delay students' payment for their own fishy gain.
He even say some universities no dey even acknowledge say NELFUND don pay the money, and dem still dey ask students to pay fees direct to them.
On him own side, Sawyerr warn say NELFUND ready to carry any school or person wey dem catch for this palava go court.
But ICPC don tell Sunday PUNCH say dem don start full investigation into universities wey dem accuse of holding or stealing loan money.
The anti-corruption agency spokesperson, Demola Bakare, say NOA don send petition to them to investigate the schools wey dey do this bad thing.
Bakare say, “We dey work on the allegations. The next day wey NOA talk about am, NELFUND bring formal report come give us.
“The ICPC chairman don order investigation into the matter, and I know say we don start work on am, and NOA dey help us too,” Bakare talk.
He add say another round of investigation to catch more schools don start.
NOA also say dem go shine their light on more higher schools to find out who else dey involved in this bad behaviour.
The agency spokesman, Odenyi, tell Sunday PUNCH say the one wey dem reveal now na just the first part of the investigation.
He say, “This na just pilot phase. We don tell our officers to do am across the country so that we go sure where all these things dey happen.”
The National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Olusola Oladoja, confirm say House of Reps wan investigate universities wey dey cheat students. He say the Chairman of the House Committee on NELFUND, Ifeoluwa Ehindero, promise say the committee go involve ICPC for the money sharing and the whole thing.
He reveal say NANS leadership meet with the committee on NELFUND on Thursday and dem talk about how to solve the issue.
He say, “After our shouting about the allegations against some banks and schools wey dey hold students' loan money, the NANS leadership, led by our National President, Olusola Oladoja, get meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on NELFUND.
“During the meeting, we tell them wetin Nigerian students dey worry about, and we say if this thing continue, e go spoil students' welfare and make am hard for them to get affordable education.”
Students dey cry
When some of the affected students talk to Sunday PUNCH, dem say the situation dey give them serious emotional stress and dey put their school work in danger.
Some say dem no fit finish registration or do exam because the loan money no show for their school account.
One student from Kwara State Polytechnic, Rahmon Kehinde, say he apply for both upkeep and school fees.
Dem credit him upkeep money, but the N96,000 school fee still dey pending.
He say, “According to NELFUND, dem don send the money to the school, but the school no give any reasonable explanation.”
Kehinde dey vex say he had to find money from somewhere else to pay him school fees so that he fit do him exams.
He say, “I don write plenty letter and go different offices, but nobody tell me where the money dey. Before my exams, the bursary tell me to pay the fee myself and settle the issue later. I had to look for the money. Now I dey confused, who go refund me?
“The situation dey frustrating because I no know who go pay me back. This thing don dey happen since January. Either the school go refund NELFUND, or NELFUND go pay me back because the money just dey hang for air.
“Nobody dey tell us wetin dey happen; the money dey hang between the school and NELFUND, and according to NELFUND, dem don pay the money.”
One student from Kebbi State University, wey no want make dem mention him name, talk say him face the same problem.
He say NELFUND tell students say dem don pay their school fees, but the university hold the money.
He say, “The school tell us to go borrow money pay our school fees. If we get that kind of money, we no go even apply for the loan. Our exams dey start on Tuesday, and many of us never finish registration.”
He say the situation dey “frustrating and humiliating,” and students dey even threaten to protest.
He say, “We dey start exams by Tuesday, and plenty of us never even do registration because the school fees payment dey delay. This one dey hard because we depend on NELFUND for the money. NELFUND don release our money since last year, but the school never do anything.
“The school dey insist say we must find the money and pay our school fees before dem go allow us do our exams. Where we wan run go find money now? We want NELFUND to look into this issue so that students wey no get money to pay go fit do their exams.
“Wetin be the meaning of NELFUND releasing the money since last year, and why our school fees still no clear? This money na like gift to us, but na loan we go still pay back. Students don dey threaten to protest,” he talk.
But when dem ask the Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi State University, Mustapha Monsur, he deny say the school do any wrong thing.
He say the university never hold any money.
He say, “Wetin you need to ask those wey dey complain na whether NELFUND clear them when dem apply for the loan, and how much NELFUND give them? Make dem bring evidence say NELFUND don pay money to the school.
“Many of the students wey dey complain either NELFUND no clear them, maybe because of some mistake, and that na probably why NELFUND no dey pay them,” he talk.
When dem ask am to confirm if NELFUND don pay money to the school, Monsur say, “Honestly, I no fit tell you that now because anything wey concern money, I need to get permission from the vice chancellor before I fit talk any financial information about the university.”