Bayelsa students not stranded in Ghana — Gov Dickson

Bayelsa State Government has described as untrue, reports that its indigenes on scholarship in Ghana were denied access to their hostels and were stopped from writing their semester examinations.

A statement by Mr Jeremiah Owoupele, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Seriake Dickson on Scholarships Welfare, said that the office had been in constant touch with the authorities of the affected institutions.

The government said that contrary to a report that the students had been abandoned, representatives from the state were currently in Accra, Ghana, to sort out any issue that might be outstanding.

The statement said that although there were some glitches in the payments accruing to the schools, no student from Bayelsa was stopped from enjoying any service rendered by the institutions. “It has come to our knowledge, news being circulated about the fate of our students in Ghana who are on state scholarships.

The said news which was quoted from the online version of a national newspaper alleged that resulting from non-payment of tuition obligations, our students have been barred from exams and driven out of their official residences.

“For the  avoidance of doubt and record purposes, this is completely untrue. At the moment, efforts are on to settle all the outstanding payments. “As a matter of fact, a team from the state scholarship board is presently in Accra, Ghana, to reconcile and ascertain  issues to enable it make  payments,” the statement said.