On Tuesday President Muhammadu Buhari has given the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) one week to pay the beneficiaries of the commission’s scholarship scheme.

Charles Odili, NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, revealed this after delivering the management’s invitation to the president, to inaugurate the 29-kilometre Ogbia-Nembe Road in Bayelsa State.

In a statement, Charles Odili said the students would be paid by the end of the week following Buhari’s order.

He explained that the delay was due to the sudden death of former Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Ibanga Etang, in May.

“Under the commission’s finance protocol, only the executive director (finance) and the executive director (projects) can sign for the release of funds from the commission’s domiciliary accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria,” Odili noted.

“With the death of Chief Etang, the remittance has to await the appointment of a new EDFA.

“Senator Akpabio, the Honourable Minister, said President Buhari who has been briefed on the protest by students at the Nigerian High Commission in London, has ordered that all stops be pulled to pay the students by the end of this week. We expect a new EDFA to be appointed this week. As soon as that is done, they would all be paid.”

The beneficiaries of NDDC’s scholarship in the UK, on Monday protested over the non-payment of their tuition fees and allowances in one year.

The students gathered at the Nigerian High Commission in London, to express their displeasure over “negligence of their welfare”.