NANS Urges Tinubu to Sanction VCs Withholding NELFUND Refunds

The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Akinteye Babatunde, has urged President Bola Tinubu to investigate and sanction vice chancellors and heads of tertiary institutions allegedly frustrating the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme by withholding students’ refunds and inflating tuition figures.

Speaking in a video message addressed to the President, via his X handle, on Tuesday, July 28, Babatunde commended the Federal Government for the implementation of the student loan programme, saying it has met the expectations for which it was established.

According to him, students across the country have continued to receive both tuition payments made directly to their institutions and monthly upkeep allowances, describing the initiative as a major relief for beneficiaries.

“I must say that the loan is living to expectation of what it was created for because we have seen students getting the loan directly to their school fees and we have also seen them getting the upkeep,” he said.

READ ALSO: NANS Announces Commencement of June, July NELFUND Allowance Payments

The NANS president also praised Tinubu for initiating the scheme and commended the management and staff of NELFUND for their responsiveness.

“I must commend you for the idea of the NELFUND loan and also the NELFUND team. They are doing a very good job. They are responsive; they respond to issues almost immediately,” he added.

However, Babatunde alleged that several tertiary institutions were compelling students to source funds to pay their school fees before their NELFUND loans were disbursed, only to retain the loan proceeds after receiving payments from the fund.

He said many affected students had been denied refunds despite repeated complaints.

“Many institutions force students to look for money to pay before the NELFUND loan is paid and when the loans are paid, the institutions still hold the money and refuse to refund those students,” he said.

Describing the practice as an attempt to undermine one of Tinubu’s flagship education policies, Babatunde called for disciplinary action against officials found culpable.

“I think this legacy of yours needs to be protected and secured by all means possible,” he said.

“If they are frustrating a policy that is meant to promote your government, I don’t see any reason why we are keeping them.”

The student leader further urged the Federal Government to publicly identify institutions allegedly withholding students’ funds and take decisive action against their management.

“Why will a school owe students money for three months, four months and not refund them? It is evil. It is as if they are doing this to frustrate the good intention you have for creating the loan,” he stated.

“So let us roll out the names of schools that are not refunding students. There are many of them and they are not even trying to refund.”

Babatunde also appealed to state governors to intervene in state-owned institutions, particularly where vice chancellors were appointed by state governments.

“Some state governors also need to come together because some VCs are appointed by the state governors. If you really love the President, you must allow his policies to succeed,” he said.

Citing an example, the NANS president alleged that a polytechnic in Edo State uploaded an inflated tuition fee to NELFUND.

He claimed that while students were paying ₦124,000 as tuition, the institution uploaded ₦250,000 to the loan platform.

“For instance, there’s a school in Edo State, a polytechnic, where students were paying ₦124,000 and the school uploaded ₦250,000 to NELFUND,” Babatunde alleged.

“I reached out to the school management and the rector told me it was the government that uploaded that amount. I found that very, very cr@zy.”

He called on Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo to investigate the allegation, warning that students should not be burdened with debts they did not incur.

“This money has to be paid back by the students when they start working, so they should not give them debt that is not their own,” he said.

Babatunde reaffirmed NANS’ support for the student loan initiative, saying students were satisfied with the programme, particularly the prompt payment of upkeep allowances, but stressed that the policy must be protected from abuse.

“We appreciate the loan. The students are happy about it, especially on the upkeep and how students are getting the loan, but we need to protect it,” he said.

“You need to make sure the loan survives. Some vice chancellors are just after the money; they don’t care about the success of the loan.”