News
Federal Gov’t Slashes Allowances Of Stranded Nigerian Scholars Abroad
The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, has slashed the allowances of foreign scholars who are currently stranded in Russia, Morocco, and Algeria, among others, by 12.7%.
The government attributed the development to the current economic crises.
It would be recalled that recently, Nigerian students studying in Russia, Morocco, Algeria, China, Hungary, and other countries, on the Federal Government’s scholarship, had lamented their unpaid stipends for eight months running.
The students are studying under the Federal Government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement (BEA) Scholarship
The BEA scholarship is for the purpose of education exchange between Nigeria and the partnering countries, while the Federal Scholarship Board is supervising the scholarship under the Federal Ministry of Education.
The government’s decision to slash the scholars’ allowances was contained in a memo signed by the Director of the Federal Scholarship Board, Ndajiwo H.A., on behalf of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
“After due consultations, the Federal Scholarship Board has come up with adjustments in line with budgetary provisions in the payment of BEA scholar’s supplementation allowances for the 2024 academic year,” the memo, dated July 23, 2024, and addressed to the scholars’ association, read.
According to the memo, the monthly allowances were slashed from $500 to $220; the graduation allowance from $2,500 to $2,000; and the PG research allowance was slashed from $1,000 to $500, among others.
The total amount initially payable to each student was $5,650, but it will now be $4,370 per scholar.
“The Scholars’ Association is hereby notified that due to the prevailing economic situation, the payment mandate for the BEA scholars’ allowances will be as per the new adjustment.
“The balances for the years 2023 and 2024 owed to scholars will be paid as soon as the funds are made available,” the Board stated.
CREDIT: DAILY POST
Dangote Refinery has announced that it will need to export 95-97 percent of its Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) due to low interest from Nigerian marketers. The refinery, which processes 650,000 barrels per day, revealed that only 3 to 5 percent of petrol marketers are purchasing its fuel.
Devakumar Edwin, Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, shared these details during an X Space session hosted by Nairametrics on Wednesday. He highlighted the challenges facing both the Dangote Refinery and Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Edwin explained, “I’m selling 2 to 3 percent to small traders who are willing to buy, while the remaining 95 to 97 percent has to be exported,” referring to the local sales of the refinery’s products.
This situation arises as the NNPCL’s deadline for adjusting the Dangote Refinery’s fuel distribution approaches without a clear plan in sight. It is worth noting that while Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, has announced the refinery’s initial petrol rollout, its distribution to marketers is contingent upon NNPCL’s decisions.
The final sixteen teams for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia have been determined following the conclusion of the group stage.
In recent matches, Ghana triumphed over New Zealand with a score of 3-1, and Japan secured a 2-0 victory against Austria.
As a result, Japan has advanced to the Round of 16, joining the other 15 teams in this knockout stage.
The Round of 16 matches are scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
The full lineup for the Round of 16 is as follows:
- Spain vs Canada
- Brazil vs Cameroon
- Colombia vs South Korea
- Mexico vs USA
- North Korea vs Austria
- Germany vs Argentina
- Netherlands vs France
- Japan vs Nigeria
The Nigerian Army has refuted claims of widespread resignations among its soldiers due to issues like corruption and low morale.
In a statement, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, dismissed these reports as unfounded.
A news outlet had alleged that numerous Nigerian soldiers were resigning because of corruption and low morale. However, the statement condemned these allegations as misleading and a deliberate attempt to create discontent and undermine the Nigerian Army’s reputation and the dedication of its personnel.
Major General Nwachukwu clarified that, similar to other military organizations worldwide, service in the Nigerian Army is voluntary rather than mandatory. This means that personnel have the freedom to resign following established procedures.
He explained that the resignation process allows personnel to prepare and manage their entitlements, including pensions and gratuities, as outlined in the Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service (Officers/Soldiers).
Contrary to the report’s implications, the statement emphasized that Nigerian Army personnel are highly motivated, and their welfare is a priority under the leadership of Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.
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