Students
By Aminu Garko
Kano, Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State has cleared the outstanding tuition and accommodation fees for 84 Kano students stranded in Northern Cyprus, putting an end to their prolonged hardship and uncertainty.
The administration confirmed that all debts owed to Near East University in Cyprus have been settled, with N2.24 billion paid to secure the certificates of the students who had waited over five years.
The students, who were initially sponsored under a foreign scholarship scheme launched by former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, were left stranded after the administration of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje discontinued funding for the program.
The decision left the students facing severe financial and emotional distress, with their education disrupted and some even facing legal action from Near East University in Cyprus.
The students suffered immensely, facing class attendance bans, eviction from accommodations, and public ridicule while struggling to survive abroad without support.
Their plight drew widespread condemnation from human rights groups and diaspora communities, who criticized the politicization of education and the abandonment of the 84 citizens.
This development enables the candidates to obtain their certificates and pursue their careers.
The beneficiaries include 28 medical students and others in paramedical and engineering fields who graduated with various degrees.
The Governor Yusuf has directed the automatic employment of these students into the state civil service.
