President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to pay the fees and stipends of scholars of the commission who are facing hardships abroad.
This was made known by the director, Corporate Affairs, NDDC, Mr. Charles Odili on Tuesday.
He said the scholars of the Commission would be paid by the end of this week.
Odili explained: “The delay in the remittance of the fees was caused by the sudden death of Chief Ibanga Etang, the then Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, EDFA, of the Commission in May.”
“Under the Commission’s finance protocol, only the Executive Director (Finance) and the Executive Director (Projects) can sign for the release of funds from the Commission’s domiciliary accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
“With the death of Chief Etang, the remittance has to await the appointment of a new EDFA.”
Senator Goodswill Akpabio, the Minister of Niger Delta, also said that President Buhari who has been briefed on the protest by students at the Nigerian High Commission in London, has ordered that all steps be taken to pay the students by the end of this week
More so, Odili, said the commission expects a new EDFA to be appointed to replace the late Etang, this week and as soon as that is done, the scholars would receive their pay.
