Bauchi students commend Governor Mohammed for paying 5,033 students scholarship worth N89.3m

By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi

The National Union of Bauchi State Students (NUBASS) has commended the State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed for releasing the sum of N89.3million as bursary payment for a total of 5,033 students of the state from seven Tertiary institutions across the country.
Speaking on behalf of the Union at a press conference held at the NUJ Press Center on Friday, the President, Comrade Mohammad Abubakar lauded the intervention programmes of the present administration in the last 3 years, saying that ND and NCE students are now being paid N12,000 against N7,000 previously paid to them as allowance.
He said that, “The Governor has provided furniture worth N3,039,768,157.72 which is in addition to the procurement of many other instructional materials.
“The payment of WAEC N800 million fee plus the backlog owed by previous administration is also notable. Even so, in 2021, about 80,000 students fees for NECO, NABTEB, NBAIS, and BRCE were paid. And recently, over 1000 students were recruited for medical bonding which include MBBS, pharmacy, radiography, physiology, nursing, dental technicians etc” he said
The Union maintained that while many other states cannot access intervention funds for noncompliance with the prerequisite conditions set up by UBEC, Bauchi students continue to enjoy several intervention programmes due to governor’s compliance in payment of counterpart funds. 
“The Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board through the 2019 UBEC SUREB Intervention Projects, has constructed and renovation of 353 blocks of Classrooms, 14 VIP Toilets, drilled over 39 Hand Pump Boreholes and provided schooling materials for 18,148 Primary Pupils and 155 teachers across the State” The student group said. 
Recall that a student group under the auspices of Air Marshal Abubakar Sadiq Students (AMASS) Forum lambasted the Governor Bala Mohamed led administration in the state over the deteriorating state of education in the state. 
The group also alleged that international scholarship was terminated for over four years, local scholarship is now partially disbursed to only few students while the sponsorship of 200 students of Malikiyya college of health whose sponsorship was offered by the previous administration has been terminated.