The NDDC – Niger Delta Development Commission, has paid the total sum of $5,901,000 to 197 students in its scholarship scheme.

This is in view of the President’s directive to pay the students who have been stranded in the United Kingdom. It would be recalled that on August 3, the beneficiaries of the commission’s scholarship in the United Kingdom protested over the non-payment of their tuition fees.

The students converged at the Nigerian high commission in London to express displeasure over “negligence of their welfare”.

The scholars lamented that they have been stranded since the NDDC stopped paying their tuition and allowances one year after they were awarded the scholarship.

A day after the protest, President Muhammadu Buhari then ordered NDDC to pay the fees and stipends of the stranded Nigerian students abroad.

Director of Corporate Affairs, NDDC, Charles Odili, in an interview with Vanguard, said $5.901m have now been paid to 197 scholarship students.

Odili stated that among the 197 beneficiaries were 12 Ph.D students from 2016 and 13 Ph.D. students from 2019, totaling 43, who got $30,000 each, amounting to $1,290,000.

He expressed that 154 MSC beneficiaries of 2019 were paid $30,000 each, amounting to $4, 420,000, bringing the grand total to $5,910,000.

The Director revealed that 94 beneficiaries of 2018 are still awaiting payment including 40 PHD and 54 MSC.