Parents complain over illegal charges in FGC

Parents of students in Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State have cried out over alleged illegal charges imposed on them by the school authorities.

Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association, Mr Imoh Abasi, and other parents who spoke with some journalists in Uyo, claimed that the school has extorted over N70 million under different guises from students and parents apart from the legitimate fees.

He said parents have been forced to pay different levies into private accounts.

“Parents were compelled to collectively pay the salaries of teachers and support staff in the college to the tune of N1.4 million every month. Individually we pay N3,000 every term to maintain a marginal school website/ICT /e-result platform.

“We individually spend an average of additional N10,000 every term on sundry compulsory objectionable dues/levies and material items demanded by the school management on resumption day.

“And, only last term, the ministry also imposed additional N5,000 fee per term for an apparently indeterminate experimental scheme vaguely tagged, SKOOL MEDIA, to betray its purpose,” The PTA leader said.

When the Principal of the school, Mr Festus Dappa was contacted, he said all the allegations of fraud against him have been thoroughly investigated by the Ministry of Education, EFCC and ICPC and found to be false.