Amnesty Students Complain Of Neglect In UK

Nigerian students studying in  Ruskin University, Cambridge in the United Kingdom under the cover of the Presidential Amnesty Programme are said to be passing through financial difficulties as their allowances have not be paid since December 2013.

The students have through a save our soul (SOS) message, draw the attention of  President Goodluck Jonathan, to the difficulties they are presently facing, pointing out that, “We are writing to His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and to Nigerians to inform them of the neglect, difficulties and challenges we are facing here in the United Kingdom.”

In the message made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, the students’ complained of  non-payment of feeding allowance, accommodation and book allowance while the office is yet to sponsor annual visit of each student to Nigeria which was a promise made to them.

They added that the Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs, Hon Kingsley Kuku has not responded to their complaints.

“We have written several letters to the Amnesty Office to know why and what has led to non-response from the office, but till date, the office has not called or communicated us on the situation regarding the payment of our money, they don’t care about our welfare and the wellbeing of the students they look after,” they stated.

According to them, all efforts through Ruskin University International Students Office, Cambridge, Cambridge Parkside Police Station and the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom have proved abortive.

They urged President Jonathan to send a rescue mission to them, saying “We hereby cry to the Federal Government of Nigeria to appoint people who can see the job as a service to the nation.”

However, Head of Media at the Presidential Amnesty Office on the situation, Daniel Anabraba, who confirmed the non-remittance of the allowances for the past few months, condemned the students for writing to the president.

Anabraba blamed the delay on the passage of the 2014 budget by the National Assembly but assured that they have commenced payment, and with time, all the students will get paid.

He assured that as at the time filing the report, the head of education at the office was at one of the banks to effect transfer of funds to some of the students.