30th September, 2013
Two Principals of junior secondary schools in Ilorin, Kwara State, central Nigeria, are in soup for allegedly imposing and collecting illegal levies from their students.
The affected principals, who had been summoned for questioning at the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, are Mr. Ajao Mohammed of Government Day Junior Secondary School, Alore and Hajia Olokoba Aisha of Fate-Basin Junior Secondary School.
While Mohammed allegedly collected N6,500 from the students instead of N430 as PTA and admission fees approved by the state government, Olokoba was reported to have imposed text books on students without approval by government.
Speaking during an unscheduled visit to the schools, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capitat Development, Alhaji Lamidi Alabi, who expressed disappointment over the illegal collection of fees from students despite the fact that the state government has made education free for all secondary school students and primary school pupils in the state,warned all principals and head teachers to key into the state government’s policy of free education aimed at making education affordable and accessible to all children in the state, vowing that government would not spare anybody caught exploiting parents through illegal fees.
He said: ” This act is barbaric, unconstitutional and callous and is portraying government in bad light to the people; let me warn that any principal or head teacher caught will be severely dealt with.”
—Stephen Oni/Ilorin