Beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund at the Federal University Kashere, Gombe State, have threatened to stage a peaceful protest over the delayed refund of school fees paid before receiving support under the student loan scheme.
The students, who issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the President of the Students’ Representative Council, Kabir Danyaya, accused the union leadership of failing to provide updates or take visible steps towards resolving the issue.
In a statement made available to journalists, the aggrieved students expressed frustration over what they described as months of silence on the matter.
“For months now, there has been complete silence from the SRC leadership as if the issue does not exist and students’ money does not matter,” the statement read.
The students said they had expected the SRC leadership to advocate on their behalf and engage relevant authorities over the delayed refunds.
“We elected the SRC President and trusted him to be our voice, to fight for us when the school and NELFUND were delaying our refunds. Up till now, there has been no update, no pressure and no visible action,” they stated.
They also expressed disappointment that despite contributing financially to the students’ union, their concerns had not received adequate attention.
“Every student paid N1,000 to support the Students’ Representative Council. We funded the council because we believed it would stand by us when necessary. Unfortunately, that trust is gradually being eroded,” the statement added.
The students further alleged that the refund process lacked transparency, claiming that some beneficiaries appeared to have an advantage because of personal connections.
“Refund has now become a matter of connection. If you do not know somebody, your money simply remains pending. That situation is unfair, and the SRC should be at the forefront of demanding a transparent process,” they said.
The group warned that affected students would mobilise for a peaceful protest if no concrete action or update was provided within 48 hours.
“We are tired of excuses and silence. We are tired of being ignored. This is our money, not a favour. NELFUND was established to reduce students’ financial burdens, not to create additional hardship,” the students said.
They added, “If we do not see serious action and a clear update on the refund issue within 48 hours, students will organise a peaceful protest to demand what rightfully belongs to them. We do not want trouble; we simply want our refunds.”
The students also urged the SRC president not to remain passive while affected beneficiaries continued to await their refunds.
“Mr President, do not allow history to remember you as the student leader who remained silent while students suffered. The time to act is now,” the statement concluded.
Responding, Danyaya dismissed suggestions that the union had neglected the issue, attributing the delay to a technical problem involving the Remita payment platform.
Speaking in a telephone interview with our correspondent, the SRC president said the university management was already working to resolve the challenge.
“I have explained it to them; it is a result of a network problem from Remita. The school management is working to resolve it within this week,” he said.
The refund concerns involve students who paid their school fees before receiving approval and disbursement under the Federal Government’s NELFUND scheme and are awaiting reimbursement of the fees already paid.