The 600 Nigerian foreign scholars allegedly omitted from the Forex bailout approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have appealed to the new board chairman of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund), Aminu Bello Masari to come to their rescue.
They also alleged intimidation of the members of the group by some officials of TETfund through their home institutions.
While President Tinubu approved the bailout for all affected foreign scholars, about 600 of them had decried alleged omission by TETfund.
In a congratulatory message to Masari, the group urged the new Board to prevail on TETfund officials to stop harassing their members through the management of their various home institutions for “simply asking for what has already been approved for them by the President but was denied them by the Fund and also for congratulating the new Board members”.
They said: “As beneficiaries of the TETFund Academic Staff Training and Development scholarship for various postgraduate programs (Masters, Doctorate, Benchwork, and Post-Doctorate programs), we are delighted upon the appointment of the new Board, as we are confident in the capability and antecedent of the Board members and particularly His Excellency, Alhaji Aminu Masari as the Board chairman. We firmly believed this would translate into significant improvement in the opportunity and quality of exposures provided to scholars, by the Fund.
“Mr. Chairman Sir, we found it necessary to call upon your attention and the Board to the untold hardship that about 600 foreign scholars were subjected (names and details attached) due to TETFund’s omission of our names from the Presidential-approved Bailout.
“The approval of this bailout by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was generally adjudged as a symbolic and highly compassionate gesture, designed to cushion the effect of financial frustration from high inflation rate, skyrocketed naira-dollar exchange rate and COVID-19 related expenses, as this would improve the welfare of Nigerian TETFund foreign scholars especially those that had to sell their properties or obtain loan just to see themselves through the program between 2017-2023.
“However, this action and inaction by TETFund to remove our names from the beneficiaries of this important and timely bailout, has escalated the financial suffering of all the affected 600 foreign scholars, as majority have several unpaid backlogs (fees, upkeep and other financial obligations associated with our academic pursuit) to high indebtedness.
” Unfortunately, TETFund’s omission of our names completely contradicts the directives given by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the approved bailout should covered all categories of sponsored foreign scholars within the years under review (2017-2023).
“Meanwhile, our initial attempt to seek redress from the TETFund management proved abortive as an Asst. Director (ASTD) informed us in writing, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of TETFund that the Fund can no longer listen or relate with any foreign scholar about the issue of bailout.
“This shocking development compelled us to embark on reaching out to important national stakeholders in the country, by sending several
“Save Our Soul-SOS”, appeals to the following important authorities, the Presidency, Hon. Minister of Education, the Senate President through the Chairman Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Chairman, Senate Committee on TETFund as well as Chairman House Committee on TETFund.
“In all these efforts of ours TETFUND’s initial response on the issue (in a newspaper publication on 28th June, 2024 ) said the Minister of Education is the one handling the case now and they have nothing to say on the matter.
Read Also: Stranded TETFund foreign scholars urge President to probe bailout fund
“But in another newspaper report published byThe Sun (VOICE OF THE NATION dated 04/09/24) that we are “IMPOSTORS”. We wonder by which standard or yardstick/criteria to justify that vexatious and defamatory claim. The Tetfund Management have in their records all details of each and every one of us (600 OMITTED SCHOLARS). This can be authenticated. (please see appendix 2, as attached).
“It is on record that there are scholars that had completed their programme and were paid while those ongoing were not. Such action makes the voice grow loud and not that we are disrespectful to anyone.
“It is in view of all the above that we (600 Omitted Scholars from the Presidential Bailout) are ferventy appealing you and the Board to COMPASSIONATELY look in to our case with a view to ending our financial and emotional trauma.
“With due respect Sir, as the chairman of the Board, we are humbly requesting TETFund Board to look into our case with compassion, fairness, justice and equity.”