Bayelsa students in Ghana Varsity barred from writing exams, hostels

Bayelsa State students studying at King’s University College, Accra, Ghana, have been prevented from writing their examinations as well as being chased out of the institution’s hostels, The PUNCH has learnt.

The revelation is coming more than three weeks after the Bayelsa State Government said that it had approved the payment of sundry fees for its stranded students studying abroad.

The government had on November 24, 2016, indicated that Governor Seriake Dickson released £300,000 and $450,000 for the payment of tuition for students of the state on scholarship abroad.

The Commissioner for Education, Mr. Markson Fefegha, was quoted then as saying that the release of the funds, despite the sharp decline in the revenue accruing to the state, was a show of the government’s commitment to the education of its people.

The commissioner had said the release of £250,000 was made to offset tuition and other fees of Bayelsa students studying for their PhD degrees in the United Kingdom.

He had also said the sum of $150,000 was approved for Bayelsa students studying at the Lincoln University in the United States, as well as the payment if $40,000 to some Bayelsa students studying in Ghana.

But The PUNCH leant on Saturday that students of KUC in Ghana were still stranded.
A final year student of Human Resources Management of the institution said their school fees had not been paid.

The student, who did not want her name mentioned because of fear of victimisation, said because of the development, they (students) were not allowed to participate in the ongoing examinations in the school.

Besides, she said Bayelsa students in Accra had been expelled from hostels by the university authorities more than a month ago.

The distraught student, who confirmed the development to The PUNCH on the telephone, stated, “They have not yet paid our school fees. However, we learnt government representatives are on their way to our school. So, we are hoping that the government team will arrive in our school by Monday or Tuesday this week.

“We are still waiting. If by Monday or Tuesday, we do not see them, we will assume they are not coming.

“We have not been going to school since October. Another disturbing trend is that Bayelsa students are scattered since we were chased out of the hostels. For me, I live with a friend. Every other student on scholarship is scattered.”