Over 137 college students sponsored overseas absconded — TETFUND

The Government secretary of the Tertiary Training Belief Fund, says over 137 college students sponsored overseas by the fund absconded.

Echono spoke on Tuesday when he appeared earlier than the Home of Representatives Advert-hoc committee investigating the alleged mismanagement of N2.3tn tertiary schooling tax by TETFund.

He harassed that the students who have been sponsored by TETFund for “increased schooling” overseas refuse to return to the nation after finishing their programmes.

The Government Secretary stated, “Among the students which have been sponsored, unpatriotically after they go, they get pleasure from our scholarship, purchase a better diploma, then refuse to come back again, it has change into a serious disaster.

“The scholarship requires that you’ll come again. It’s required that you’ve got a guarantor and in lots of instances, the guarantor has suffered undue hardship as a result of while you disappear, we maintain the guarantor to pay all the cash expended in your behalf however that has not been efficient.”

Echono stated TETFund is working with stakeholders for “stringent and efficient measures” to be taken in opposition to those that refuse to return to the nation for Nigerians to learn from their experience.

“We consider that in a system the place we work with our embassies and the establishments, we will implement the compensation for many who insist they won’t come again,” he stated.

He added that if the students who don’t wish to return to the nation refuse to repay the cash expended on their programmes, they are going to be declared persona non grata.

Echono stated, “We are going to write to the embassies and they’re going to make it out there to these international locations they usually will be unable to get jobs. They are going to be seen as fugitives of legislation from their international locations.

“We could should take that onerous stand as a result of the numbers are alarming. We simply checked about 40 establishments and over 137 absconders and the evaluate is ongoing.

“It’s a big quantity that we can’t afford and so we might be looking for your help to strengthen among the present rules to make sure that those that profit from this programme should come again.

“We aren’t in opposition to individuals in search of greener pastures however achieve this by yourself, not by means of our scholarship or our sponsorship.”

The Government Secretary stated TETFund could droop overseas scholarship because of the trade charge disaster.

Echono stated that among the taxes are paid to TETFund in foreign currency echange on the account domiciled with the Central Financial institution of Nigeria however when charges are to be paid for students overseas, the apex financial institution insists on TETFUND sourcing Foreign exchange by itself.

He added, “We function a system the place our foreign exchange is being bought on our behalf at an official charge and we apply like anyone else to get it, generally it results in extra price.

“At present as I communicate, we’re in consultations with all our stakeholders to droop overseas coaching for a yr or two.

“That is due to the latest trade charge changes. We’re unable to proceed based mostly on our disbursement pointers.

“The cash we allotted in naira can’t cowl the greenback requirement for coaching. For many who are at the moment there, we now want extra naira to pay for the greenback that’s required for his or her annual charges. We try to place a maintain.”

He stated most of our coaching will now be executed regionally by means of “our skilled, first-generation universities and different specialised universities” within the nation.

“This fashion we will retain our sources in-house and deal with the change of overseas trade variation,” he added.

Echono additionally stated the federal authorities was proudly owning TETFund N371.3 billion out of which it has repaid N46 billion to date.

He additionally denied the allegations that TETFund mismanaged the N2.3tn fund.

In the meantime, Oluwole Oke, chairman of the committee, stated the probe is to not witch-hunt, including that the lawmakers are out to cease the misuse of public funds.