Nigerian students in Iran make case for FG scholarships
According to Kabuga, the over 260
Nigerian students studying in Iran are
not on Federal Government scholarship.
He said: “Mr. President, we are
appealing to your government to grant
us scholarships to ease our hardship
during the course of our study in Iran
Nigerian students in Iran have
appealed to the Federal Government to
offer them scholarships to enable them
to complete their studies.
A spokesman of the Nigerian community
in Iran, Malam Auwal Kabuga, made the
appeal on Tuesday in Tehran during an
interactive session with President
Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Kabuga, the over 260
Nigerian students studying in Iran are
not on Federal Government scholarship.
He said: “Mr. President, we are
appealing to your government to grant
us scholarships to ease our hardship
during the course of our study in Iran.
“Mr. President, we will also recommend
the establishment of collaboration
between Nigerian universities and
Iranian universities for mutual
benefits.
“We will like to appeal to Nigeria
Immigration Service to establish a point
of issuance of e-passport in Iran.”
Kabuga expressed dismay that
Nigerians in Iran had to travel to
India, Dubai or Abuja to obtain e-
passport.
In their contributions, other Nigerians
urged the Buhari administration to
urgently tackle the security challenges
in the country as well as the rot in the
nation’s power sector.
Responding, President Buhari said he
had already directed all his ministers to
commence work immediately so that
Nigerians could feel government’s
impact.
The President stated that he has
directed the Minister of Power, Works
and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to go
ahead with the planned work on major
road projects across the country.
He said: “On roads, especially Lagos-
Ibadan Expressway, yes I think there
were some fabulous talks yesterday.
“The Minister, I did not know that he
had taken a lot of notes and he decided
to take 15 minutes to discuss with me
what he intends to do, especially about
this (Lagos-Ibadan Road).
“Whether we come from Ibadan or from
Maiduguri, I think there are bad roads
between Lagos and Ibadan and then up
to Kaduna and so on.
“It’s a concern.
“This is because the casualties we
have….
“And then it makes the conveying of
goods and services much more expensive
because a journey that should take a
maximum of 24 hours, some people say
is taking 20 days.
“But, I know that is exaggeration, but
at least it is taking a week and this
makes goods and services very
expensive throughout the country.
“And then the question of insecurity is
affecting the economy.
“So, something is being done about it.”
Buhari further said the present
administration was doing all it could to
address the challenges in the country’s
health sector.
According to him, the government will
tackle the problems of expired drugs
and quacks in the medical profession as
well as get rid of “baby factories” in
some parts of the country.
NAN.
