A member of the House of Representatives, Terseer Ugbor (APC-Benue), has warned against politicising the disbursement of loans to students of tertiary institutions in the country.

Mr Ugbor, representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency of Benue State, in a statement on Friday, demanded openness and transparency in the management and disbursement of loans to students.

He also cautioned the Nigerian Education Loan Fund to be wary of political interests in the management of the fund, including selection of vendors and recruitment of staff.

Mr Ugbor, who was a former Chairman, House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Students Loans, said that there must be equity, transparency and accountability in the scheme. 

The lawmaker alleged that there were no public records on the actual number of loans so far disbursed.

According to him, there are no adequate records of the amount of money spent, duration of loans, repayment plans, number of participating institutions and the insurance policy covering these loans.

He explained that he was unable to tell how many students of Benue State origin received the loans, as a result of lack of public records. 

He queried loan disbursements without credit life insurance and health insurance for the students, questioning recovery methods in cases of death, disability or default. 

Mr Ugbor called for more transparency in the management of the students’ loans, as one of President Bola Tinubu’s legacy initiatives. 

(NAN)