Kwara: Over 2000 Students Filed Dubious Bursary Claims As State Begins E-Payment

Not less than 2000 ‘students’ of Kwara State origin filed dubious claims in orfer to get the state government bursary payment, a statement signed by Musa Dasuki, permanent secretary at the state’s ministry of tertiary education alleges.

The statement says a total of 10,491 applications were received through an online portal but only 8,304 final year students of Kwara State origin have each been paid N5000 as bursary following weeks of electronic processes and verification of their applications by the government.

“A total of 10,491 successful applications were received within a period of four weeks but only 8,304 of them were verified to be genuine and therefore recommended for payments. Consequently, payment is now being effected from today Friday, November 29, 2019,” according to the statement.

The AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration had recently launched a strictly e-bursary in a step meant to ensure that the process is transparent, with all eligible students directed to apply through a dedicated portal.

The governor had approved N50m for the second tranche of 2019 bursary but insisted that applicants must apply online and have their money paid straight into their accounts without any middlemen.

The statement said the exercise, in which Kwara students from across the country benefited, gulped N41,520,000 out of the N50m approved for the bursary at N5000 each per beneficiary.

Abdulrazak, meanwhile, has approved the payment of N100,000 each to 89 students of Kwara State origin who are currently at the Law School nationwide.

The governor also directed that the money be paid directly into the accounts of the law students.

“The Ministry of Tertiary Education has invited the leadership of the Law School students to a meeting to finalize payment procedures,” the statement added.

Dasuki said the regime of e-bursary is a “new dawn” of transparency in the state.