ECOWAS fellows cry out over abandonment by sponsors
A plea has gone out from students under the ECOWAS Nnamdi Azikiwe Academic Mobility Scheme (ENAAMS) to the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and the Association of African Universities (AAU), to come to their aid and release funds meant for their programme to enable them continue with their studies.
The students who said that their academic programmes is being hampered because of the non-release of funds by the sponsoring agencies noted that the programme which was conceived with the aim of building a network of young Africa with high education is being rubbished as they are now stranded in their various countries of study.
The students in a save our soul letter signed by three of their representatives including Frank Aman, a national of Cote D’Voire, and an MSC student of Agricultural Biochemistry and Nutrition in the University of Ibadan, Dominic Offei, a Ghanaian and an MSC student of the University of Ibadan both in Nigeria; and Oboh Mary, a Nigerian and a PhD student of Medical Parasitology and Mycology in the Universite Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal pleaded with the sponsor agencies to expedite action in the release of their allowances, as they are already stranded in their various countries of study. ENAAMS, they said is an initiative that is a response to the recommendation of the ECOWAS Minister in charge of Higher Education and Scientific Research, who recommended that the ECOWAS Commission should “Create within the region, an academic mobility system for students and encourage institutions to put in place language immersion programmes to promote mobility of students in the region.”
As a result, they said, the ENAAMS was initiated by the Department of Education Science and Culture of the ECOWAS Commission and managed by the Association of African Universities (AAU), Headquarters in Accra, Ghana. “The Programme seeks to promote capacity building within the ECOWAS 15-member countries by providing full fellowships for training and education for nationals of ECOWAS member states in higher education institutions of ECOWAS. “The purpose of this fellowship is to provide scholarship to fellow to enable him/her undertake the tuition at the selected university in the ECOWAS region.
Three universities were selected for the programme, they are the University of Ibadan and University of Lagos in Nigeria and Université Cheick Anta Diop in Senegal.” They added that while the University of Ibadan received 31 fellows (23 Masters and 8 PhD), the University of Lagos received 33 fellows (22 Masters and 11 PhD) and the Université Cheikh Anta Diop received 9 fellows (4 Masters and 5 PhD). They added that after a thorough, transparent, and merit-based selection process, 73 students were chosen to undertake a Master/PhD in these universities.
Those in Lagos started their programme in January, Ibadan in February and Dakar in March, 2016. “Most of these students left their jobs, their families and all other opportunities for the program,” they said adding that since July 2016, they have lost regular contact with the institution in charge of the program, the AAU, that they have not received their monthly stipend since that month. “This stipend is supposed to be paid periodically and should cover accommodation, feeding, health and other needs. It should also cover all personal issues related to their stay at the university as stated in their special fellowship agreement that they duly signed.
They however added that as a result of their stipend not paid on time, they tried to understand what is going on, but despite their attempts to communicate with the AAU, they have received no response to their calls and emails. “These young, brilliant and talented Africans in their respective fields now live with great frustration that affects their academic performance and morale. “Living abroad without receiving any money necessary to ensure their survival is the situation that these students have been experiencing for the past six months.
“Without help, how are these students supposed to find their way to the education they need so badly? How can these students be expected to compete in their studies under these conditions? How can AAU/ECOWAS be silent when they know that these students are suffering? This situation to say the least is appalling. “We call on all parties to face up to their responsibilities. It requires swift and decisive action at all levels of governance, and that priorities at all levels be better articulated and activities harnessed in favour of these fellows,” they said.
