The Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Abeokuta Muslim Alumni (MAPAMA) has hailed the directive by President Bola Tinubu on the Student Loan scheme take off.
Declaring open the 29th session of the Nigeria Economic Summit at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja last Monday, President Tinubu assured that the scheme would take off next January.
President Tinubu signed the Student Loan Bill into law last 12th June, 15 days after his assumption of office. It was proposed by the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who is now Chief of Staff to the President.
It is to provide interest-free loans to students in tertiary institutions in order to make funding education at that level more accessible to all.
In a statement in Lagos by its Head of Media and Publicity Committee, Mr. Tajudeen Balogun on Monday, MAPAMA said that the directive was timely and in order, especially as many stakeholders have asked questions relating to specific time the scheme would kick start.
The organisation added that President Tinubu’s announcement is timely as most of the tertiary institutions in the country are just resuming or about to resume for the new academic session.
However, MAPAMA warned that the implementation of the scheme, which it admits is the most tedious aspect, should be made with due diligence, such that it does not suffer any setback at the take off or midway.
The group urged President Tinubu to ensure that all government departments and agencies involved in the implementation of the scheme are up to task and do the needful before its official launch.
MAPAMA noted that the scheme is a long term gesture and government’s social intervention, to support students and parents in ensuring that no undergraduate experiences a setback in their aspiration to attain higher education.
It called on the President to ensure that the agencies in charge of the implementation are focused and upright so as to achieve a smooth start and sustainability of the scheme.
MAPAMA, however, warned that the beneficiaries, parents and guardians should support the success of the scheme. In this case, the “it’s national cake” mentality should be dispensed and jettisoned. Therefore, all students who benefit from the scheme should have commitment to pay the loan after their sojourn in schools.
On the part of the government, MAPAMA warned that the scheme be treated strictly as the authority’s social intervention and make sure it’s free of political colouration.
MAPAMA has also congratulated President Tinubu on his recent victory at the Supreme Court.
Its National President, Prince Taofeek Oyeniyi said that now that the legal redress by the opposition is over, the President should be more focused on the task of nation building before him and his cabinet.
Oyeniyi also called on the opposition to play their roles objectively, such that the government is always put on its toes to do the right thing. He added that professional bodies, civil society groups, mass media, religion and traditional institutions should also play their roles in drives to move the nation forward.
