By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Prof. Owunari Georgewill, has attributed the low participation of students in the Nigerian student loan programme to deep-rooted cultural resistance in the South-South and South-East regions.
He said families in these regions were reluctant to associate their children with debt, even if the loan was interest-free.
Georgewill who spoke on Wednesday in Portharcourt during a Strategic Engagement and Sensitisation Campaign of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), advised the government to make the programme a repayable grant, noting that this would make parents feel their children were not going to school through loan.
“This is not a grant, it’s a loan. As a VC, I feel every student should key into this programme.
“Despite our advocacy, the word ‘loan” is really discouraging students from participating in the scheme.
“We can coin it to be a repayable grant which will make parents feel their children are not going to school through loan,” he said.
Speaking on the allegations of fraud associated with the scheme, he stated that the accusations leveled against universities were misguided, baseless, and potentially damaging to a critical national initiative.
Georgewill stressed that UNIPORT had maintained a clean record since the programme’s inception.
“Universities are being called names for participating in this programme. But how can I defraud myself with money paid to my university?
“If you pay school fees on behalf of students, the money becomes part of the institution’s operating budget. There is no fraud in that,” he said.
The vice chancellor emphasised that the school charges one of the lowest tuition fees among federal universities, N78,000 per year and this he said made it easier for many families to afford education without loans.
He also noted that out of Uniport’s 40,000 students, only 1,800 are currently benefiting from the loan scheme, making it illogical to claim widespread fraud.
“Why would I be involved in fraud over 1,800 students when 38,000 others are paying their fees directly? The entire NELFUND payment is meant for the student’s fees.
Addressing concerns about student refunds, the Vice Chancellor reiterated the institution would only refund a student’s personal payment if it was made before NELFUND disbursed funds on their behalf.
The Vice Chancellor also criticised systemic misinterpretations, saying accusations were sometimes made without due investigation, while also voicing frustration over reports that paint all universities with the same brush.
The former National Secretary, National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS), David Bariereka, confirmed that Uniport had not been the subject of any official complaint regarding misappropriation of NELFUND disbursements.
Bariereka however, acknowledged that other universities had faced allegations where fees paid by NELFUND were not reflected, prompting students to pay out-of-pocket.
Earlier, the Managing Director, NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, acknowledged that some issues had occurred but maintained that the agency is committed to transparency.
Represented by Dr Zino Ugboma, Director, Administration, NELFUND, Sawyerr added that media narratives and premature conclusions have sometimes done more harm than good.
“The system may not be perfect, but we are trying to make it as humanly effective as possible. Sabotage and misinformation can ruin what should be a transformative programme for the country.”
Sawyerr emphasised the need for cooperation and clarity to ensure the success of the programme.
He warned against sensationalism and urged stakeholders to focus on refining the system for the benefit of Nigerians.
He, however, commended the university for recording the highest number of student registrations on the national student loan portal among all higher institutions in Rivers State, with approximately 4,000 students already signed up.
“Of all the higher institutions in Rivers State, Uniport has the highest number of registrants.
“As of this morning, we have about 600,000 students nationwide who have registered for the programme, and Uniport’s 4,000 students are a major part of that success,” he said.
