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| Nigerian students on scholarship in Russia standing in front of the Nigerian Embassy situated in Moscow. |
Nigeria has a relation with Russia (Bilateral system) where Russia allows Nigerian Students to come study on scholarships. These students go through the hard task of writing exams and getting selected, then they get to Russia only to be met with hunger and hardship. Some news agencies became interested in this story and the Charge d'Affaires called the student to threaten him never to grant any interview to the press. This case got us more interested in Nigeria's "corrupt" ( as described by David Cameron) government and why they will grant students permission to a country only to leave them to their fate. Please note that this interview was written by a non-biased journalist who is only interested in putting things right, without any alterations or personal sentiments with the Nigerian government. This interview is also in no way tarnishing the image of Nigeria but a strong medium to let Nigeria hear the crisis their future leaders are going through in Russia as the stipends of students on scholarship are not being paid appropriately making the students suffer psychologically and emotionally.We had a hard time finding a student to talk to us because of the fear of being sent back to Nigeria for "tarnishing the image of the nation" as Mr. Gafai Ibrahim Usman puts it. Our team finally found a student from Moscow to speak to us but pleaded to stay anonymous due to fear of going back to Nigeria. The interview was not really planned. We had our Assistant News Editor to conduct the interview since she was there during the protest.
TEAM LYDIA: I would like to know more about the Nigerian students on scholarship, I guess we should hit the nail right on the head. Do you know why the stipends are not being paid to the students?
N. STUDENT: They give several excuses why the stipends are not paid like the budget hasn't been passed or it was passed late. They also tell us that the money has to go through several procedures and several ministries before it gets to us here in Russia.
TEAM LYDIA: How is the scholarship being applied for and what are the requirements? Any SAT's or special exams?
N.STUDENT: Yeah, we apply on a site and the applicant should have at least six distinctions with passes in English and Mathematics in WASSCE. The scholarship is under the FEDERAL SCHOLARSHIP BOARD which is also a branch of the FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION. The applicant needs no SAT, there is a special exams conducted after submitting the WASSCE results which is conducted in six geo-political zones in Nigeria.
TEAM LYDIA: How many states are there in Nigeria?
N. STUDENT: There are 36 states in Nigeria, and the exams are conducted in the six geo-political zones every year. The zones change every year.
TEAM LYDIA: What are other requirements to apply for the scholarship?
N. STUDENT: A valid passport, birth certificate, several copies of passport-sized photographs. Then later we go for medical fitness report from our health institutions and later we come for screening conducted by the scholarship officials.
TEAM LYDIA: After one is granted the scholarship and successfully gets to the country of study, how much is allocated to the person and how often is agreed on?
N. STUDENT: We were promised $500 every MONTH for upkeep and $200 dollars every YEAR for health insurance.
TEAM LYDIA: How long have you been in Russia and how many times have you received the stipends?
N. STUDENT: I have been in Russia for three years and have received the stipends twice.
TEAM LYDIA: If you are entitled to $500 every month, then by the end of every year you should receive $6000, and you being in Russia for 3 years means you have received $18000, would you say you have received this amount of money from the government of Nigeria?
N. STUDENT: No! I haven't received $18,000 from the stipends being paid. I have only received a total of less than $6,000 since I came to Russia.
TEAM LYDIA: Do you have any idea of whom the money goes through before getting to you?
N. STUDENT: The embassy has an accountant who receives the money from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) when the Bills are been signed into Acts.
TEAM LYDIA: Do you think President Buhari should investigate and revamp the Nigerian embassy in Russia?
N. STUDENT: Well, I think they should look through all the channels through which the money gets to us.
TEAM LYDIA: Has Nigerian government cared for you?
N. STUDENT: The calls are being made only to our representatives, we have an association where we have appointed some students as representatives. Personally no one has called to ask how i am faring?
TEAM LYDIA: I learnt there was a protest or a demonstration recently, tell me about it.
N. STUDENT: We went for a peaceful demonstration at the Nigerian embassy in Moscow. We were able to meet the officials and the ambassador. They listened to us and told us they will find a way to resolve our grievances.
TEAM LYDIA: First of all, when did you start receiving the stipends?
N. STUDENT: I received my first stipend towards the end of my first semester in first year. So throughout my foundation studies of one year, I never received any money from the scholarship team. I had to study the language for a whole year and through it all I neither received not heard from the scholarship officials. It was in my first year, getting to the end of first semester that I received some amount of amount in my account.
TEAM LYDIA: Are there sincerely needy but brilliant students among the students who apply for this scholarship? And how do you think they survive?
N. STUDENT: Yes there are. The school helps us by giving us $22 every month. So I think that is how they are able to survive. This money doesn't even last for a week.
TEAM LYDIA: What do you have to say to the people in authority?
N. STUDENT: I will plead with them to carefully look through this issue and rectify the mishaps occurring in all the agencies now. I think the system should be checked thoroughly. The welfare of the students should also be a concern to the authorities.
TEAM LYDIA: How have you survived?
N. STUDENT: I use to receive money from home with my Gt Bank card, but now all international usage of locals cards have been suspended which makes life very difficult. I now have to cut down on so many things even food, which makes me feel so bad. So now I can't withdraw money with my card anymore.
TEAM LYDIA: Tell me about the Nigerian student who had the interview with the local Tv station and what happened to him after speaking to the journalist.
N. STUDENT: The name of the Tv station is Channels Tv. in Nigeria . The student reached out to them so that the problems we are facing here could be made known to the government and at least some help could be sent to us here in Russia. They had a conversation via Skype and the news was aired. Later on he got a call from the Ambassador (Nigeria's Ambassador to Russia) threatening him to never repeat that action again else his scholarship term will be terminated.
It is the fear of being sent back home that makes us keep quiet and suffer the hardship we are facing here. How i wish they could know how it feels when it's so cold and i have to walk through the cold with my "not so warm coat" just because I can't afford a warmer coat.
I pray this information goes far so we can receive help because we are seriously suffering.
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For a moment we all got so emotional and couldn't continue with the interview because of the words of the innocent Nigerian student who didn't know this was what he was getting himself into by applying for the scholarship. We plead with the agencies involved to please help these students out and make their request granted and not pending.
Thank you.
By: Charlotte Naa Takoe (Ass. International News Coordinator)
Geraldine Lawson ( Asst. News Editor)
