Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has blamed the management of Cyprus International University for frustrating efforts to address the plight of 93 students sponsored by the government to study in the institution.
In a recent video shared by a China-based content creator Dan Bello, the students said they have been ejected from hostels and barred from attending lectures due to the state government’s failure to pay their tuition fees and upkeep allowances.
They said the decision has left them stranded, hungry, and hopeless, forcing some of them to begin hard labour in the country.
But in a statement issued by the spokesperson for the governor, Suleiman Idris, on Saturday, he said despite serious problems uncovered and the faulty foundation of the scholarship program by the previous administration, the state government has been pursuing all official channels to return the students to classes.
Mr Idris, however, said unlike previous similar incidents in India and Sudan universities where the state government resolved issues with management amicably, the management of Cyrus University has blocked all the efforts to resolve the issue.
He revealed that the state government has so far paid over N210 million as a demonstration of its commitment to address the impasse.
The full statement reads: ZAMFARA STUDENTS: UNLIKE INDIA AND SUDAN, OUR ENCOUNTER WITH CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
“On May 29, 2023, Governor Dauda Lawal took over a government that had failed to pay examination bodies for three years, preventing Zamfara secondary school students from taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams.
“Among the several problems inherited by our government is the lingering issue of nonpayment of scholarship fees for Zamfara state indigenes sent to study in different educational programs in Cyprus and India.
“For our students in India and Sudan, the Zamfara State government collaborated smoothly with the institutions. Zamfara indigenous studying in India have completed their studies and are preparing to return home.
“Due to the war in Sudan, 66 Zamfara indigenes were evacuated. However, 14 of the 66 nursing students could not take their final exams. In partnership with Sudanese University, the state government organised exams for the 14 students in Nigeria, which is not one of the university’s designated exam centres. The government covered flight, accommodation, and meal expenses for three examiners from Sudan. All 14 students completed their final exams, while 52 others received full scholarships to continue their studies at universities in Nigeria.
“We laid the foundation by referencing India and Sudan, where Zamfara scholarship students faced various problems that were addressed with the state government’s intervention. The question remains: Why is Cyprus International University different?
“Despite serious problems uncovered regarding the faulty foundation created when students were sent to Cyprus and other countries, the state government has been pursuing all official channels to resolve the issue, but the school management is blocking the efforts.
“On November 12, 2023, the state government paid the university N84.7 million. Two days later, on November 14, 2023, another N30.9 million was transferred to the school.
“Cyprus International University has consistently rejected the state government’s request to send a delegation to discuss the ongoing issues concerning our scholarship students. As a result, the state government had to reach out to the Nigerian Foreign Mission in Turkey for assistance.
“In May 2024, following significant pressure from the Nigerian Foreign Mission in Turkey, the school management informed the state government that they were prepared to receive a delegation at the university in Cyprus, contingent upon the transfer of funds to demonstrate commitment. Consequently, on June 4, 2024, the state government transferred N100 million as requested by the university.
“In light of this, Governor Dauda Lawal formed a three-member delegation for a trip to Cyprus International University. The delegation includes Mallam Wadatau Madawaki, the Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology; Bello Mohammed Auta, the Commissioner of Finance; and Barau Muazu, the Special Adviser to the Executive Governor on Finance and Economic Matters.
“The delegation was saddled with the responsibility to establish the actual amount Zamfara State owes the university in respect of the 93 students sent on scholarship since 2019; to screen all the Zamfara State students in the university in person to ascertain their actual number; to verify the students’ various and individual courses with the view to evaluating performance and confirm the year of graduation of each student.
“Other responsibilities include finding out and evaluating the conditions under which studies are being carried out, the situation of the hostels, feeding, and other learning tools and infrastructure provided, and devising mutually agreed-upon terms and conditions through which the established outstanding and future liabilities would be settled.
“Before leaving Nigeria, the delegation reached out to the Nigerian Foreign Mission in Turkey, a reason why two officials of the Embassy joined the delegation to Cyprus on August 14, 2024, to complete the above assignment. On August 15, they met the students and the university’s management, setting the ball rolling.
“The first meeting with the management was with Professor Majid, from whom the delegation requested for any executed MOU/Agreement between Cyprus International University and Zamfara State Government, a total outstanding debt owed by each student from inception to date, indicating the amount per semester, payments received and outstanding balance; students’ cumulative academic transcript per semester indicating progress with anticipated graduation date and list of students who made personal payments for registration to avoid semester freezing, the amount paid per student, and the total amount.
“In a meeting with the University Rector/Vice Chancellor, Professor Habil Nadiri, the delegation presented numerous issues faced by the students in the university, which included non-registration of students to allow them to attend lectures and access school facilities to carry out their studies conveniently; ejection of the entire students (except the ten females) who were patching in a provided boys hostel by the school; and depriving all the students (including the ten females) food from the school canteen since the date they were ejected from hostel.
“Other issues presented to the school management include the school authority tagging Zamfara state students “under a deportation order,” which was frowned upon as a harsh decision since they had not committed any criminal offence against the university or the country, and the deportation of one of the students without prior notification to either the Zamfara State Government or the Nigerian Embassy in Ankara. We also frowned at this action as unwarranted for a non-criminal reason.
“The Zamfara delegation uncovered a lack of consistency on the part of Cyprus International University. The office of the General Secretary provided the government with EUR 947,544.71 as the total outstanding sum Zamfara State owes the university.
“The office of the Senior Advisor to the Board of Trustees and Head of the Promotion & International Affairs division provided the total debt the state owes as EUR 650,730.24.
“The International Affairs Office confirmed that the General Secretary’s office did not update its system with many payments and waivers. We reviewed the total provided by the international affairs office and discovered many anomalies that need to be corrected, further reducing the total indebtedness.
“Since the delegation returned, the Zamfara State Government has been awaiting communication from Cyprus International University regarding the actual payment needed to end the quagmire.
“The Nigerian Foreign Mission in Ankara has been actively working to encourage the Cyprus Diplomatic Mission to press Cyprus International University for the necessary official documents. We are hopeful that this diplomatic intervention will help to compel the university to do the right thing without any further complications”.
