Our students not stranded in Ghana, says Bayelsa government

The Bayelsa State government on Monday refuted insinuations that its indigenes on scholarship in Ghana were denied access to their hostels and stopped from writing their semester exams.

A statement by Mr Jeremiah Owoupele, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Seriake Dickson on Scholarships Welfare, noted that the office had been in constant touch with the authorities of the affected institutions.

The government said that contrary to a report by the online version of a national newspaper that the students had been abandoned, representatives from the state were currently in Accra to sort out any outstanding issues.

The statement said that although there were some glitches in the payments accruing to the schools, no student from Bayelsa was stopped from enjoying any services rendered by the institutions.

“It has come to the knowledge of the office of the senior special assistant to the governor on scholarship welfare that a certain news being circulated about the fate of our students in Ghana who are on state scholarship.

“The said news which was quoted from the online version of a national newspaper alleged that resulting from non-payment of tuition obligations, our students have been barred from exams and driven out of their official residence.

“For the avoidance of doubt and record purpose, this is completely untrue. At the moment, efforts are in top gear to settle all the outstanding payments.

“As a matter of fact a team from the state scholarship board is presently in Accra, Ghana to reconcile and ascertain  issues to enable it make  payments”, the statement said.

The Governor’s aide added, “My office has been in constant  touch with them(students) and even spoke to one of our students, named Charles Ogola. He reiterated that the students are all fine and are not being denied any services as being circulated.

“Representatives of the state are there and a very cordial business  relationship exists. Thus, such mischievous stories should be ignored”.

He restated government’s commitment to the ‘total revamping and strategic re-positioning of the education sector’ in the state, pledging that a system was already in place to ensure that any hitches were avoided in the future.

“The Governor has reiterated his commitment to ensure that obligations were met and a phase by phase payments is already structured to clear all outstanding tuition obligations.

“We are mindful of the commitments and the constraints, but government is also resolute in ensuring that it meets all such obligations”, the statement concluded.