‘Kano Govt Paid N2.7bn Tuitions, Others For Foreign Students In 2016’

Abdullahi-Umar-Ganduje

In what appears a clarification on reports of non-payment of students fees abroad, Kano state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said that last year alone he paid N2,700, 000, 000. 00 for the tuition and other fees of indigenous students studying abroad.

Addressing 154 fresh graduates, sponsored by the state government to pursue different Masters Degree programs at a University in India, held at the Kano state government house.

The state governor reassured that because of the importance his administration attaches to education, the scholarship would be maintained for all current government sponsored students overseas up to their graduation.

Governor Ganduje, who lamented that the state’s federal allocation has dropped by two-third, pointed out that himself and all political appointees in the state are receiving half salary and allowances, to save money to address issues in critical sectors like education.

“Therefore, this administration would do all it can to sustain and finance the foreign-based students to complete their studies, through efficiently managing the little we receive from the federation account as well as money accruing from internal revenue,” he stressed. Politicize.

Governor Ganduje advised the graduates and other students on the state government scholarship not allow mischievous politicians to use them against his administration, by giving political tone to the issue of foreign scholarship, reiterating that the fees paid by the previous government for their education were from the public treasury, not anybody’s personal pocket.

“Nobody did a favor to you by paying for your studies in the first instance. We that sustained the scholarship did so with public funds, it is not a favor. We also studied under government scholarship so what is the big deal about it?”, the governor queried.

He commended the graduating students for showing understanding of the state’s financial situation as well as for appreciating its efforts towards addressing different challenges with little earnings, compared with what obtains in the past years, promising to help secure jobs in public and private sectors.

In their separate speeches, representatives of the Indian university graduates and their parents, Muhammad Mustapha and Tijjani Baraya, appreciated the concern shown by the Ganduje administration to alleviate their plight, lamenting that the immediate past government caused them a lot of hardship by not paying their allowances and university fees.