Somaliland Students Protest Against “Misappropriation” of Scholarships

Atleast 62 Somaliland students have on Thursday protested before the country’s education ministry building over alleged misappropriation of scholarship funds. The students said they were offered national scholarships but now they have been removed from the list and asked to pay their university tuition.

They have decided not to pay the tuition fee and have asked the ministry of education to resolve the matter. The Students noted that the university entrance exam will take place on Friday yet they can not aford paying the entrance fee required. They asked government officials to make a speedy decision regarding the matter.

Waddani party officials also joined the protest and described the move as a “misfortune”. Saddiq Dhamme expressed concern over the process of scholarships administered in the country. He cautioned the government officials to avoid scholarship embezzlement.

Saed Mohamud Gahayr, a Somaliland activist believes slight contention between the minister of education and the Chairman of Hargeisa University, a claim that has not been officially revealed, as the root cause of this case.

Some of the students who also spoke to the media described as a disappointment that their scholarships were misappropriated and advised the government to give their demand much consideration.