-NIMASA, a federal agency has been alleged to have abandoned students on scholarships in Philippines
-The students were also alleged to be living in terrible conditions in the country
-Efforts to get the agency’s side of the story has proved futile as at the time of filing this report
Photo credit:
Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) page on Facebook
The federal government has been accused of abandoning students sent to study in the Philippines.
The students are supposed to be enjoying
scholarships from the National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP)
launched by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency
(NIMASA) in 2009, but are reportedly having difficult times in the
country as a result of the abandonment.
These
students were alleged to be sent to study Marine Engineering, Nautical
Science and Naval Architecture in the following schools: University of
Perpetual Help System Dalta, Lyceum of the Philippines University and
University of Cebu.
The programme was launched by President
Goodluck Jonathan administration with a view to bridging the projected
employment gap in the seafaring profession.
NAIJ.com gathered that the students are alleged to be living pitiful conditions.
The
students allegedly claim the agency refused to do anything about their
situation despite their series of letters demanding for urgent
attention.
According to Edmond Steve “the
most annoying part is that they told these students to be good
ambassadors because they are representing their country and then I ask
this question, in what way are they representing their country? Is it by
living under tension, by starvation, by calling them names in front of
other nationalities or by pushing them to the world? "
Steve also alleged that the students are under attack on daily basis as a result of their situation by the Philippine officials.
He said: ‘These
people are so wicked, heartless, cruel to the extent of sending five
final year students who stood against their oppression and suffering
back home, in other to threaten the ones left."
However, efforts to get the reaction from NIMASA proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian federal government has concluded plans with Russia to build nuclear power plants in two states of the country.
0 comments:
Post a Comment