General News of Saturday, 29 July 2017

Source: 3news.com

Ghanaian students in Russia to picket at embassy over unpaid allowances

The students claim that government's inability to pay them allawances has left them stranded The students claim that government's inability to pay them allawances has left them stranded

Students including 76 fresh graduates who are supposed to return to serve the country after studying on government scholarship are abandoned in Russia due to delays by government to pay their allowances including air tickets.

The allowances also include outstanding debt of $2700 and shipping allowance of $1500 per student according to president of NUGS – Russia, Daniel Kwabena Yeboah.

“76 graduated this June. Lots of them have nothing on them. Besides, that also means that as part of their complete package they are to get free ticket, shipment allowance and outstanding allowances.

All those are likely to be forfeited,” the president told 3news.com. Daniel Yeboah indicated that there has been a rather dramatic turn of events amongst the student body as they seek to occupy the embassy on Monday if no payments are made to them.

The 76 frustrated graduates who haven’t been paid their rounding up allowances and arrears are supposed to leave the Russian Federation for Ghana by the 31st of July.

He said all means to get monies paid have been exhausted with no positive news from government but rather “disappointing and hopeless” statements from officials at the embassy Some students who spoke to 3news.com described how students have been surviving for the past 9 months as pity, noting that majority of the graduates have been ejected from their hostels since they are no more considered as students.

Last year students expressed similar displeasure about unpaid allowances but it appears the embassy will have a bitter experience from the student body this year as they are to picket the embassy Monday.