How NASDRA sent military officers to non-existent institute in China

The career and fate of five military officers and 13 of their civilian counterparts are hanging in the air, following the seizure of their certificates by a university in China after their sponsors, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), failed to pay their school fees.

The Northwest University of Politics and Law, Xian China, was said to have vowed not to release the certificates to the military officers and their civilian counterparts until they get every kobo owed them by NASDRA.

NASDRA, had sometime in 2012, written officially to the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), of their decision to sponsor five military officers alongside their civilian engineers for training on Rocket Technology in China.

The training, according to the organisation was to last two and a half years, as one year would be spent on language learning while the remaining 18 months would be for a Masters programme in rocket technology.

They were to be further trained on hands on training and rocket launch after the entire programme.

But all became fairy tale  because while the one -year programme on language went on, that of the Masters in rocket technology did not see the light of the day, as the school where they were supposed to have gone to for the rocket technology studies appeared not to exist.

Before leaving the country for the program, NASDRA promised the participants that they would be fed throughout the duration of the course, transported to and from school and would be paid first 28-day estacode of $381 per day and subsequently 30  per cent for the remaining 336 days

The organisation also assured the participants to take responsibility of sundry charges like light, water, maintenance, gas, Internet, among others.

Trouble, however, started for the participants when they arrived China on March, 26, 2012, and taken to their rented apartment and discovered they were in for trouble.

The first shocker they got from their sponsors was when they paid only fourteen days estacode of the first 28 days, after which they got nothing more.  They were also left to cater for all the sundry charges attached to their accommodations for the one year of the language programme, fed themselves, paid their medical bills, transported themselves to and from school, renewed their resident permit and paid for their flight tickets back to Nigeria.

The most embarrassing aspect of the programme according to a NASDRA source, who said he felt so bad for the military officers, was on the day of their graduation from the Northwest University, when the authorities of the school announced that they would not be presented with their certificates because their sponsors did not pay their fees.

The source, who does not want his name mentioned, said the Masters programme which was supposed to last 18 months did not hold as the company handling the program in collaboration with NASDRA, Byronic Technology Limited, refused to commence the program as a result of non-payment.

However, our source said it was observed that Byronic Technology seems to exist only on paper as all efforts they made to trace the address of the company and its training institution did not yield result, even on the Chineses website. Most Chinese citizens they spoke to equally do not have an idea of such a company existing in their country.

And to add salt to injury, NASDRA, officials were said to have told President Goodluck Jonathan during his state visit to that country that five military officers and 13 others were undergoing training on rocket technology there.

Meanwhile the amount owed the participants, amounting to about N7 million, being the amount they spent on their accommodation, medical bills, feeding, transportation, renewal of resident permit, flight tickets, among others, is yet to be paid by NASDRA, who are not forthcoming with information over their inability to keep to their promise or when they are expected to commence the training on rocket technology.

daily Sun