Kogi Government has vowed to penalise any principal or head teacher of public schools found collecting fees from pupils and students.
By Stephen Adeleye
Kogi Government has vowed to penalise any principal or head teacher of public schools found collecting fees from pupils and students.
The Commissioner for Education, Mr Wemi Jones, gave the warning on Friday in Lokoja, while reacting to reports that some school administrators were demanding fees from students.
Jones reiterated that education remained free in public schools at primary and secondary levels, according to the Kogi State Education Law 2024.
He said that the state government’s law provided for free education, including free examination registration for Kogi students in public primary and secondary schools.
The commissioner said that the state government had so far spent N1.2 billion on payment for both public school students’ external and internal examinations in the 2024/2025 academic session.
He, therefore, vowed that the ministry would crack down on any school administrator trying to sabotage the system, to ensure every child’s right to free education without exceptions.
“Government will sanction any principal or school administrator caught collecting money from students and pupils.
“Gov. Ododo has declared a state of emergency in education in Kogi State, and it is imperative that every child has access to quality education without the hindrance of financial barriers.
“Principals who continue to collect fees are not only doing a disservice to the state, but also attempting to sabotage the government’s initiative,” Jones said.
He emphasised the significance of the governor’s decision to relieve parents of the burden of fees payment, given the current economic challenges facing the country.
The commissioner, therefore, warned that any school official found violating the free education policy would face severe consequences.
He urged parents and students to report any instances of fee collection to the appropriate authorities, to ensure accountability and transparency in the education system.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had in October 2024, released over N661.3 million for the payment of 2024/2025 West African Examination Council (WAEC) fees for students in public schools.
The governor had also, on Tuesday, approved N542 million for payment of fees for 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UMTE), Common Entrance Examinations (CEE), and Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for students and pupils in public schools. (NAN)
