President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has criticised former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye over his claim concerning payments made under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND.
Melaye, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, had alleged in a video circulating online that NELFUND provides students with only ₦20,000 annually instead of covering their school fees.
He also described the Federal Government’s student loan programme under the Tinubu administration as a “haven of corruption,” questioning how ₦20,000 could cover tuition and other institutional expenses in public tertiary institutions.
The claim drew a reaction from the National Association of Nigerian Students, which challenged Melaye to provide evidence for his allegation and questioned his record on education-related interventions during his time in the Senate.
NANS also asked the former senator to disclose the educational support he provided to students in his constituency while serving as a lawmaker.
Onanuga subsequently backed the students’ body’s criticism in a post on X, describing Melaye’s NELFUND claim as false.
The presidential aide also questioned the basis of Melaye’s statement, making a disparaging reference to the former senator’s state of mind and alleging that he had deliberately misrepresented the student loan scheme.
The exchange has generated further debate over the implementation and public understanding of the Federal Government’s student loan programme.
