Over 137 scholars sponsored abroad through Nigeria’s Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) have reportedly absconded as confirmed by Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary of the agency.
Appearing before the house of representatives ad hoc committee investigating the alleged “abuse” of N2.3 trillion tertiary education tax by TETFund, Echono noted that the scholars who were sponsored by TETFund for “higher education” abroad refused to return to the country after completing their programmes.
He further revealed that TETFund is working with stakeholders for “stringent and effective measures” to be taken against those who refuse to return to the country for Nigerians to benefit from their expertise.
The TETFund ES added that such persons will be forced to repay the money expended on their programmes or they will be declared persona non grata.
Echono said;
“Some of the scholars that have been sponsored, unpatriotically when they go, they enjoy our scholarship, acquire a higher degree, then refuse to come back. It has become a major crisis.
“The scholarship requires that you will come back. It is required that you have a guarantor and in many cases, the guarantor has suffered undue hardship because when you disappear, we hold the guarantor to pay all the money expended on your behalf but that has not been effective.
“We believe that in a system where we work with our embassies and the institutions, we can enforce the repayment for those who insist they will not come back.
“We are not against people looking for greener pastures but do so on your own, not through our scholarship or our sponsorship.