One would have thought that the pains of Niger Delta students studying abroad would be addressed after President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Paul Boroh as the Coordinator for Presidential Amnesty Programme.

But that is far from the case, as over 2,000 Niger Delta students studying in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world have protested against the non-payment of their tuition fees, in-training allowances and accommodation fees.

Their coordinators in Swansea University, UK, Mr. Elliot Yibakeni, and Emomotimi Ziprebo of Birmingham City University, UK, protested on their behalf in Bayela, on Sunday.

They released a statement to press home their case;

“We are protesting on behalf of the over 2,000 abandoned and dejected Nigerian students of Niger Delta extraction studying in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world under the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

“Sadly, since the appointment of Coordinator for PAP, Paul Boroh, nothing has changed for us, rather the situation is becoming more precarious each passing day.

“We wish to tell Nigerians and the international community that as we speak, Niger Delta students are frustrated and disillusioned because of uncertainty with regard to the prolonged delay and non-payment of tuition fees, in-training allowances, accommodation fees and other stipends that will aid our stay in foreign lands.

“We are now a butt of joke around the world especially in the UK and have practically turned refugees and laughing stock in our respective cities where the institutions are. We have just received the news of the death of one of our fellow students in the University of Belarus due to the present hardship faced by the students.”

“As of the moment, schools in UK and other parts of the world have started resuming for fresh academic sessions.

“Worse still, students that did foundation programmes in the UK and were successful are currently denied visas by the UK embassy because of the yet to be resolved challenges experienced by the students.

“All the relevant authorities are aware of this development but because it affects the people of the Niger Delta, they seem not to bat an eyelid.”