NAKSS accuses governor of tactically planning to delay disbursement.
Government says E-payment is cost efficient and safer
The Kwara state government and National Association of Kwara State Student has been in logger-head over the modalities for the disbursement of this year’s bursary award.
This was coming after the Association met with governor yesterday but the meeting was said to have ended in deadlock as both party maintained their stands in the disbursement process.
In a statement made available to newsmen, in Ilorin, yetserday after the meeting, the Association insisted that they are not going to bent in their demands.
“Sequel to the earlier press statement(s) released on issue of bursary, the leadership of the Association was invited to an impromptu meeting by the Executive Governor over the modalities for the disbursement of the bursary award.”
“During the meeting, the Governor stated that he is going to adopt the “e-payment method” of disbursement rather than the earlier planned “cheque method”, knowing fully well that the collation of list has almost been completed and the scholarship board has already started signing the cheques.”
“The Governor insisted that the national body should get the BVN and Account details of each student before the disbursement can commence.”
“At this juncture, we must enlighten the entire student populace that the Governor is only trying to use delay tactics to avoid the disbursement of the bursary awards.”
“Furthermore, the Governor told the leadership that it is 25 Million naira that is now available for the bursary after stating it categorically before all media houses that 50 Million naira will be released. With this, our fear is that the remaining 25 Million naira may even be withdrawn before completing the collation of the BVN and Account details, starting all over again which may take about two months.”
“It is necessary to call the attention of the students to the fact that the national body, together with the scholarship board, has concluded plans for the disbursement process, (which the local chapter presidents are also party to) and about to start tomorrow Tue 27th Nov., 2018 before the governor perfect his plan for delay tactics.”
“The Governor believed that the collation of the BVN and Account details is not feasible and if possible, will take a very long time and as such, will weaken the strength of the kwara students as he is no longer concern after the 2019 elctioneering period.”
“However, we must call on Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to stop playing politics with the welfarism of the entire Kwara students and should not vent his political anger towards millions of Kwara students.”
“It is worthy of note that the Governor is calling for a massive protest anytime soonest against his government which may affect the peace of the state especially during this sensitive electioneering period as thousands of students are ready to shut all government parastatals and ministries.”
However, while reacting, the government said, “The NAKSS statement on what transpired at their meeting today with Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed is a misrepresentation of what actually transpired”
“Governor Ahmed the payments will be made via e-payment in keeping with current practice of paying salaries and pensions.”
” He maintained that its safer and more cost effective to use e payment rather than having to provide extra funds for logistics of traveling to various campuses”
“NAKSS officials could not give any concrete reason why they wanted manual payment other than the claim that some student have no bank account”
“Majority of those to benefit from the N25m released so far out of the N50m approved by the Governor are final year students according to NAKSS. Why will a final year student not have a bank account.”
“Governor Ahmed never said he will withdraw the N25m. Neither did he or the scholarship board as for anyone’s BVN”
They further said, “The question Kwarans should ask is: Why is NAKSS afraid of e-payment.
Kwarans reject this blackmail attempt”
Reacting to this, the Student body said, “In response to the statement released from the government (officials) over the bursary madalities issue, we must say the governor is only trying to score cheap political points by sponsoring the the spreading of propaganda, like they are used to doing.”
“The Association must start by enligntening the entire students and general public that, even if we are to go by E-payment, it is for the benefit of the Association, as a national body, like the governor said yesterday, we will be given our due completely even before the disbursement. But we felt we can’t leave our students to suffer because of N5000 and we enjoying the dividend like we were offered yesterday.”
“Before now, disbursement was meant to start today, as the scholarship board has completed the collation of list and signed cheques for the disbursement before the governor cancel the payment at the last minutes even when he was aware of the modalities before now.”
“He insisted on E-payment which requires the Association to gather the BVN and Account details of all students expected to benefit from the award.”
“The first question is, How many months are we still going to use in collating the Account details and BVN of students with the forthcoming election fast approaching. This, we believe, is a delibrate attempt, by the governor, to delay the payment till after the election when he will no longer be in charge, and withdraw the released money for his personal use.”
” Secondly, when other states are paying a well above N30,000, Kwara is paying N5000 and the governor still expect the students, mostly without bank accounts to open one just because of N5000? This is a delibrate attempt to prevent fair distribution of the burasray award!(and prevent majority of the students from accessing the award, so that they will insist that 100million was disbursed with no one to question them) as NAKSS NHQs has perfected modalities to ensure the whole of the money is disbursed and not squandered.”
“The governor orders the withdrawal of N25 million of the earlier released N50 million naira without the knowledge of the Association, and they are still in collaboration, with the scholarship board lying that they are disbursing the N50 million. If not for the sensitivity of the NAKSS executives, the governor will have succeeded in disbursing less than N25, million through E-payment and claim he has disbursed N100 million with no one to check since it is done electronically without public knowledge. If not why did he announced to the whole world that he released 50 million and afterward secretly orders the withdrawal of 25 million out of it?”
“NAKSS is not insisting on cheque payment for any personal gain order than the fact that the E-payment process will see a lot of student receiving N2,000 and less instead of the exact amount of N5,000, and there won’t be transparency of how much was released by the government, unlike the cheque where everyone will be a witness.”
“They sense that this NAKSS administration is coming with the interest of the students and not personal interest as we have so far rejected alot of personal offer from the government so they felt the best way is to spread propaganda to discredict us.”
“It sounds very ridiculous when government officials were telling us that since they are having strong opposition in Lagos State, then the disbursement should start from there? Even when Lagos State is releasing over N800 million for her students’ scholarship and bursary,we are still shamefully trying to compete with them. No! We, in toatality, reject the politicizing of student welfarism!”
“Had it been THE ABDULFATAH AHMED LED GOVERNMENT IS SINCERE (and every student have an account and ready to release their BVN to a third party for N5,000, NAKSS won’t have any problem with the E-payment.”
“We must also say that the E-payment will take a very long period of time than the conventional way as the scholarship board will start a new processing afresh and had to go to school, with students coming out to queue for screening and dropping of their account details like in the “cheque method” and instead of them to receive money immediately after the screening they will still have to wait for weeks so that their details will be input and send to their respective banks for credicting.”
“We see this as political, because when he (the governor) was still contesting, he was ready to cater for students’ welfarism but now that the ticket has been withdrawn from him, he is looking for all ways to displease the students so that we can come out for protest and discredict the dynasty he belongs since he no longer has anything to loose!”
“We must at this stage warn everybody sharing propanga, most especially the SSA media to the governor, Dr. Femi Akorede to desist from such or face the full wrath of the entire Kwara State students!”
“We call on all stakeholders to talk to the governor or else we may be forced to take to the street and shut down not only the government house and parastatals but other political places as politics is not the next, when our welfarism is not taken care of!”