Nigerian Government Withdraws Sponsorship of Six Students in Russia Over Attack On Embassy

The Presidency has withdrawn sponsorship of six students at the Peoples Friendship University, for unruly behavior after the Monday attack of Nigeria Embassy in Moscow.

The affected students are reported to have stormed the Nigerian Embassy in Moscow and protested non-remittance of their September allowance, creating image problems for Nigeria in the process.

The Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta announced yesterday that it decided to withdraw sponsorship of the affected students to serve as deterrent to others under its sponsorship in other parts of the globe.

The students were part of the 24 Niger Delta youths being sponsored by the Amnesty Office at the Peoples Friendship University, Moscow, Russia, who were found to be behind the condemnable act.

"For going on rampage and violently attacking the Nigerian Mission, these students breached the Code of Conduct for delegates on scholarship that they all signed before their departure from Nigeria. It is also a gross misconduct, which the Nigerian government cannot tolerate. Students on its sponsorship cannot go on rampage on flimsy excuses in a foreign country and damage the image and reputation of Nigeria.

"Our records show that the students were not being owed their In-Training Allowance, ITA, for six months as they alleged."

"In fact, the only unremitted allowance was for the month of September 2013, which had been approved and was being processed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, at the time they attacked the Mission.

"My office had communicated the students on Friday, September 27, 2013 about the processing of their ITA for the months of September and October 2013 and the need for them to be patient while it was being handled by the CBN.

"We were therefore shocked when information got to us that the delegates had invaded the embassy, destroyed property and attacked the Mission officials over unpaid allowances. This is absolutely unacceptable," Kuku said. Kuku also dismissed speculations among former agitators in the Niger Delta that they would soon be paid the sum of N2 million each by the Amnesty Office.

Source:Vanguardngr

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16 Angry Nigerian students Arrested After Trashing Nigeria Embassy in Russia

Reports reaching TG from Russia is that about 16 Nigeria students studying in Russia has been arrested by Moscow Police after trashing and smashing Nigeria embassy in Russia becuase of unpaid grants.

The 16 were ordered by Nigerian embassy staffers to leave the building and were subsequently detained by Russian police, BBC reported. All attend colleges in Russia, the Russian interior minister said.

This isn’t the first time Nigerian students have reacted in anger to unpaid grants by either their hosting or home countries. A year ago, other students upset at the non-payment of their promised grants beat up one of the Nigerian embassy officials, BBC reported.

The recent incident occurred at the embassy on Malaya Nikitskaya Street after students were given a hearing to address their financial issues. The students allegedly starting smashing the furniture in the reception area and threatened to do the same in other embassy rooms if they didn’t receive their money, BBC said.

Russian grant money has paid for thousands of students from Africa to attend school over the last few decades.

Source:washingtontimes

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