Lovina Emole, Uyo
Parents of students at the Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State have lamented over the outrageous levies and illegal fees against their wards in the school which they alleged to have amounted upto N100 million.
The concerned parents who made their grievances known on Tuesday to newsmen in Uyo also sought the immediate redeployment of the School principal-Mr. Festus Dappa, other management staff and thorough investigation into the fraudulent activities of the said people.
Led by the school PTA Chairman, Hon Imoh Abam; the parents accused the principal of collecting fees not approved by the Federal Government and paying same into a private account.
They further alleged that among the questionable levies introduced by the principal were N3000
from each child every term to maintain a marginal school website/ICT, N10,000 on sundry
compulsory objectionable Dues/ levies, N5000 every term for a scheme tagged, ‘Skool Media’.
They also accused him of abusing the Single Treasury Account (TSA) policy of the
federal government.
According to them, instead of students paying approved school fees directly into the Single Treasury account with the CBN gateway, such cash were pocketed, while receipts were issued to
unsuspecting students to cover the scam.
The PTA chairman said parents felt a sense of relief, when Dappa, after the initial petition and investigations, upon which the team from the federal ministry of education appeared to have protected him, was posted out but regretted why he was posted back to the school again.
He said “following complaints by concerned parents, the Federal Ministry of Education reportedly sent a supposed fact-finding team to the college. Also a new Principal, Ms
Gogo, D.I was transferred to the college to replace Mr Festus Dapppa”. “On Saturday, March 3, 2018, the new Principal met with parents during the PTA General meeting and to our
utmost relief, promised to discontinue with the systematic culture of extortion in the college. Similarly, we were assured that the Bursar of the college, Dr A.Ojiezele, has finalized arrangement to refund some of the monies that were illegally collected by the Festus Dappa-led administration to parents”.
“But, sad enough, one week after we were given assurances of liberation
from the shackles of extortion, his partners and beneficiaries in the
Ministry of Education mindlessly reposted the same corrupt Festus Dappa to the college to sit on his investigation and cover his fraudulent paths”.
“The principal also maintains a UBA Account number 1016686521 which he uses to extort and collect various unapproved monies. Various lodgements into the account would provide further details about the massive extortion through the above stated UBA account.
The principal unilaterally imposed and collected a levy of N6,000 from parents per
student on the pretext of completing the school parameter fence project. He also introduced the collection of a minimum of two bags of cement from students for minor offences like late coming on the pretext of using the cement to complete the fence, yet he also fraudulently included the ongoing PTA parameter fencing in the 2017 appropriation project for the school.
“It is also to be noted that the feescollected by the FGC Ikot Ekpene remained
the highest compared to other Unity colleges . The reason is that the principal has repeatedly used various disingenuous sub heads to rip off helpless parents every term.
These include extortion of N36,000 from each of the over 400 students admitted into JSS1, JSS2 and SS1 in the 2017/2018 session. Part of this amount (N20,000 was collected through payment into the UBA account number 1016686521 while the remaining part N16,000 was through cash
collection at the Principal’s office under various fraudulent sub heads.” He
explained.
The parents who had already petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, the minister of education, Governor Udom Emmanuel and A’Ibom House Speaker, Mr Onofiok Luke further stated that N4,000 for the 2017 year book was extorted from the 2017/2018 new intake admitted months after the book was published and launched but added that till date neither the returning students who paid for the book nor the 2017/2018 new intakes have been given even a copy of the 2017 year book.
“In addition N1,000 was extorted for one empty a-4 sized brown envelope which market value is N40. N27,000 was extorted from each of the 357 (2016/2017) graduating students over the following fraudulent sub heads:- Special paints- N12,000, Damage N5,000, extra lesson before issuance of results N10,000, N800 before release of uniforms that was duly paid for, N300 for release of books duly paid for, N500 to write the names of students on items with a marker pen and others.” He said.
The chairman added that the Police in a last minute twist stopped a peaceful protest
after a letter to that effect has been approved by the Department of Security Services.
