“We don’t know the reason why we are being neglected here,” a student said. “Is it that the Bayelsa State government doesn’t need doctors anymore? Are they waiting for us to die? Is that what they want?”
For 14 months, the students have not received their allotted tuition fees and stipend money, an issue that has crippled their academic pursuits. Throughout these months, students have been denied of allowances for books, medical and health necessities, even for winter clothing and coats during the -20 degree Kursk winters.
Despite phone calls, letters, visits, and more to the scholarship board, The Bayelsa State House of Assembly, The Governor of Bayelsa state, The Ministry of Education, and the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, the students have received nothing: no funding, no response, and no answers. As September approaches, these students have been told they will not be able to resume classes without the required funds.