The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) has disclosed that more than 137 students who were sponsored on scholarships abroad have absconded. Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of TETFUND, revealed this during his appearance before a House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the alleged mismanagement of N2.3 trillion in tertiary education tax by TETFUND.
Echono stated that the sponsored scholars, who were sent by TETFUND for higher education overseas, have refused to return to the country after completing their programs. He expressed concern over this issue, describing it as a major crisis. The scholarship program requires the scholars to return to Nigeria, with a guarantor who will be held responsible for any financial expenses incurred on their behalf. However, the current measures have not been effective in ensuring their return.
Echono emphasized that TETFUND is collaborating with stakeholders to implement stringent and effective measures against those who refuse to return, so that Nigerians can benefit from their expertise. He mentioned working with embassies and institutions to enforce repayment for those who insist on not coming back. If these scholars fail to repay the expenses, they may be declared persona non grata and face repercussions in terms of job prospects and legal status in their host countries.
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Echono also mentioned the possibility of suspending foreign scholarships due to the exchange rate crisis. TETFUND faces challenges in obtaining foreign currencies to pay for scholars’ fees abroad. As a result, they are considering suspending foreign training for a year or two and focusing on local training at established universities within Nigeria.
Furthermore, Echono clarified that TETFUND is owed N371.3 billion by the federal government, of which N46 billion has been repaid thus far. He denied allegations of mismanagement of the N2.3 trillion fund and stated that the investigation aims to prevent the misuse of public funds rather than witch-hunting individuals.
Chairman of the committee, Oluwole Oke, reiterated that the probe is not intended to target individuals but to address the improper use of public funds.
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