Parents of Zamfara State students studying at Cyprus International University under a government scholarship are pleading with Governor Dauda Lawal to address the hardships their children are enduring due to unpaid scholarship fees.
A total of 93 Zamfara students were sponsored by the previous administration to study at the university in Cyprus. However, they are now facing severe challenges, having been evicted from their hostels and denied access to essential facilities due to outstanding fees.
One concerned father, who wished to remain anonymous, said his child and others are subjected to harassment by the university management over unpaid debts.
"When the previous government sent our children abroad, we believed everything would run smoothly. Recently, however, our children were evicted from their accommodations, and it became clear there were issues," he said.
Some students, especially the male, have taken up menial jobs to support themselves, a situation that parents believe detracts from their studies.
Another parent, who also chose to remain anonymous, criticised the current administration for failing to resolve the financial issue, despite claims of ongoing efforts.
He said, "It is unfortunate that the successive government in Zamfara State has failed to upset the money the students owed the university. Though, the government has claimed to have been making efforts towards addressing the problem, for how long will it address it?
"We expect the government to adopt some emergency and proactive measures that will cushion the effects of the sufferings our children are facing, while at the same time making frantic efforts to settle the outstanding debts they owe the university.
"Unfortunately, the Governor Dauda Lawal-led administration has remained silent while our children continue to suffer in a country where they have no one to assist them. We are calling on Governor Lawal to rescue our children by upsetting their debts."
A Zamfara-based NGO, the Zamfara Circle Community Initiative, also called on the state government to urgently address the students' needs.
Dr Aminu lawal, chairman of the initiative, urged the government to provide funds for their upkeep and accommodation, as well as to renew their passports and visas to prevent the risk of arrest or deportation.
In response, Governor Dauda Lawal's spokesman, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said this was among the numerous challenges inherited by the administration.
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He noted that the government has successfully resolved similar issues for Zamfara students studying in India and Sudan, including evacuating 66 nursing students from Sudan during the war, and organising exams for those who could not complete their studies.
Idris also said the Zamfara State Government has made substantial payments to Cyprus International University.
He expressed frustration over the university's refusal to allow a state delegation to address the matter directly.
In August 2024, a three-member delegation from Zamfara, accompanied by officials from the Nigerian Foreign Mission in Turkey, met with university authorities to discuss the students' plight.
The delegation presented a range of issues, including student evictions, restricted access to food services, and, alarmingly, the threat of deportation for Zamfara students.
The delegation also uncovered discrepancies in the debt figures provided by different offices within the university.
According to Idris, efforts continue through diplomatic channels to obtain the official documents needed to resolve the outstanding debt and restore the students' full access to university resources.
"Since the delegation returned, the Zamfara State Government has been awaiting communication from Cyprus International University regarding the actual payment needed to end the quagmire.
"The Nigerian Foreign Mission in Ankara has been actively working to encourage the Cyprus Diplomatic Mission to press Cyprus International University for the necessary official documents. We are hopeful that this diplomatic intervention will help to compel the university to do the right thing without any further complications," he said.
