NITDA conducted an aptitude test last year August, 2015 to select suitable candidates to study Masters and PhDs in UK Universities. Successful candidates were screened on Wednesday, 7th October 2015. The estimated maintenance expense for living in London Borough is £1,265 per month while outside London Borough is £1,015 per month. Surprisingly, NITDA issued Scholarship Award Letters intending to pay Scholars £800 per month. A beggar doesn’t have choices; Scholars accepted the offer and some of them had already reported and commence studies. The big shock to scholars was however, instead of NITDA to pay allowances in either pound sterling or parallel market naira equivalent of pound sterling, they resorted to paying in naira, slightly higher than the official rate but far lower than the parallel market rate. Again payment could only be made after scholar left Nigeria. She/He has no chance to apply for official exchange rate in Nigeria. The only option is to get to ATM and withdraw, obviously at parallel market rate. The implication is scholars cannot get up to £600 a month. On top of that, withdrawal from ATM is subjected to daily and monthly limit, another level of frustration. To me and a average Nigerians, SAHARA REPORTERS is fighting for an injustice in whatever form. I believe SAHARA REPORTERS can conduct a thorough investigation on:
Why NITDA cannot pay scholars the prescribed official estimated living expenses.
Why NITDA, being a government agency, which can access Pound Sterling at official rate, cannot pay scholars in Pound.
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Thank you.
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