Osun State says it has no funds to Pay Bursary: Needs N216.334 million

Osun State government has said it would  need about N216.334 million to pay the approved  N10,000 bursary to each student of Osun State origin in  tertiary institutions across the country.

The  state governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, said this  while reacting to  Tuesday’s  protest by students of tertiary institutions in the state, over non-payment of their annual bursary by the state government.

He explained that the non-payment was due to the fact that the amount approved was not budgeted for in this year’s annual budget.

Aregbesola recalled that    his administration’s resolution  to make education affordable for students was the reason he increased the bursary to N10,000.

According to Aregbesola, “in determining the accurate figure of bursary beneficiaries, this administration set up a committee that went round the country to have true number of our students scattered all over tertiary institutions. It came up with a figure of  20, 215 in 74 institutions, as against an unverified figure of 10, 264 in 62 institutions recorded by  previous administration.

“Compilation of statistics took time. However, before final compilation of the accurate figure, budget for 2012 had been made. What was appropriated was N70 million, since appropriation is a compulsory requirement for government expenditure. The need to get the House of Assembly’s go ahead to meet up with the N216,334,000, who were due for  bursary, this government is at the moment, processing the supplementary budget at the House of Assembly,” the governor said.

He explained that while the supplementary budget was still ongoing, students’ demand was that they should be paid the old  rate.

Aregbesola maintained that if there was no fraud or mischief, no sane man would  prefer to take N2,000 instead of N10,000 as bursary. Tribune