South-East students are yet to benefit from FG loans because of poor registration & incomplete information– Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu

Poor registration and incomplete information provided in relevant forms have been identified as reasons Southeast students have not benefitted from Students Loans.

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who made the clarification, said the identified lapses were already being addressed, reports The Nation.

The lawmaker assured that students from the region will soon be included in the scheme.

Kalu’s assurance came a day after the Southeast Caucus in the National Assembly protested the alleged exclusion of the zone from the list of the institutions that will benefit from the loan nationwide.

The list was released by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

But in a statement yesterday by spokesman, Livinus Nwabughiogu, the deputy speaker said there was no cause for alarm.

On the strength of the talks between his office and NELFUND, Kalu expressed optimism the the matter would be resolved in a matter of days.

He explained that during the engagement, issues of poor registration of students from the Southeast against the total number of students in the schools in the region were identified as the reason for non-shortlisting of names.

He added that there were mistakes with the completion of the relevant forms such as non-inclusion of Joint Administration and Matriculation Board (JAMB) results.

Kalu, however, said that steps have been taken by the affected institutions to remedy situation.

He added that the governors are on top of the situation to increase the number of participating students just as the members of the National Assembly have been equally been encouraged to reach out to their constituents for immediate compliance.

Relevant statistics show that Abia State has three higher institutions – Abia State Polytechnic, Aba; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike and Abia State University, Uturu.

The 2,543 students in Abia State Polytechnic have no JAMB numbers and therefore could not get application forms.

Only 406 out of the 21,342 students at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture have applied for the loan.

None of the 17,928 students in Abia State University eligible for the loan application has applied so far.

In the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, only 781 out of 40, 769 students have so far applied for the loan, while only 34 students have applied for the loan from the University of Medical and Applied Sciences in Enugu with 610 eligible students.

The statement further said that only one person has applied for the loan from the Federal Polytechnic, Ohodo, Enugu State while from the Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu, Enugu State with 2, 491 eligible students, only 11 students applied.

From the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo in Ebonyi state, he explained that out of a total of 19, 221 eligible students, only 930 students applied, while 331 applied for the loan out if 15,622 eligible students from the Ebonyi State University.

At the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu only 28 out of the 831 eligible students have applied; 188 students from the Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, Afikpo, Ebonyi State and 128 students from the Federal College of Education, Isu.

In Imo State, Kalu said only 1,114 students have applied for the loan 27, 371 eligible students from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri; 14 students from Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, 11 from Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, two from Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University, two from Federal Polytechnic, Nekede while no student has applied from Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma and the enjamin Uwajumogu State College of Education, Ihitte Uboma.

The deputy speaker explained that in Anambra State, only 253 students have applied from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, 44 from the Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze. No student has applied from the Federal Polytechnic, Oko and the College of Education, Nsugbe,

Urging the concerned institutions to encourage their students to apply for the loan, Kalu called on stakeholders to set up a registration point in their locations to increase the number of students to benefit from the federal government loan scheme.

He said: “The various governors are equally on top of this to increase the number of participating students. The members of House of Representatives from the south east as well and senate have been asked to reach out to their respective constituents for immediate compliance.

“To increase the awareness, the deputy speaker has produced jingles in English and Igbo languages in addition to pigeon English to be played in various radio stations of the region.

“These will increase the number of participants.”

The deputy speaker called for patience among the students and the people of the Southeast, promising remain in touch with NELFUND.