RSSDA Admits non Payment of Allowances to Students on Overseas Scholarship

The Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) said it is true that it has not been able to pay the allowance of more than 7000 Rivers Students currently on scholarship overseas.

The Executive Director of RSSDA, Noble Pepple confirmed this following report that many of the students overseas have been thrown to the streets over unpaid allowances.

Pepple said the agency could not meet up with its financial obligations to the students overseas due to drop in the state revenue allocation.

He, however, said the agency was in touch with the management of the schools to ensure that the students were not terminated from their schools.

Pepple said: “very sadly, yes it is correct. We have tried to keep faith with our commitments and obligations under the scholarship scheme which have been running for a number of years now. Over the last seven months we have had very difficult challenges with funding .so we have not been able to maintain the payment of students because of that challenge.

He said it was not true that the Rivers State Government has neglected the students it sent to study abroad.

He said the government was committed to the success of RSSDA following scholarship schemes despite the limitations of funds.

“I know that we have been in constant dialogue with the schools where they are studying. Many of the schools have been kind enough to give us extensions of time and grace to come up with the tuition fees and for the hostels and accommodation monies as well. We have been on that discussion and many of the schools have shown tremendous understanding,” he added.