Students from Gwarzo in Kano State sponsored by Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jibrin to study at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA), Katsina State, has threatened to withdraw from the programme over alleged failure to pay their monthly allowances for the past three months.
The students, who were promised a monthly stipend of N50,000 each, said they had received the allowance only once since resuming academic activities at the university’s main campus after being transferred from the former study centre in Gwarzo.
The affected students said the delay had subjected them to severe financial hardship, particularly as they now have to shoulder additional expenses associated with studying away from their home community.
According to the students, the monthly allowance was an important component of the sponsorship arrangement and was expected to support their transportation, feeding, accommodation and other basic academic needs.
They said they had spent about three months at the university’s main campus without receiving the promised monthly payments regularly.
One of the students, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the situation had become increasingly difficult, with some beneficiaries struggling to remain in school because of mounting expenses.
“We were promised N50,000 every month, but since we resumed at the main campus, we have received the money only once,” the student said.
The students appealed to Senator Barau and the authorities responsible for administering the sponsorship programme to urgently intervene, pay the outstanding allowances and establish a reliable payment schedule.
They warned that continued failure to address the issue could force some beneficiaries to abandon their studies despite having secured the opportunity through the sponsorship programme.
The students also urged the sponsors to ensure that future allowances are released regularly, saying predictable financial support would enable them to concentrate on their studies and meet essential living expenses.
The development has raised concerns among the beneficiaries and their families, who said they expected the sponsorship programme to provide sustained support throughout the students’ academic programmes.
The students said they remained grateful for the educational opportunity but stressed that fulfilling the financial component of the sponsorship was necessary to prevent economic difficulties from undermining their studies.
Efforts to contact Senator Barau or his aides for comment were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.