Illegal Fees: Delta Penalises Six Principals, Nine Others

Sylvester Idowu

The Delta State Government has punished six principals of public secondary schools and nine officials of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education for allegedly charging and collecting unauthorised levies from students.

Apart from sanctions ranging from demotion to re-deployment, the affected education officials will have to refund the money collected from their students before they were nabbed.

Worst hit by the directive of the state government is the Principal of Ogor Technical College, Otor-Ogor, Ishmael Omolade, who will refund N11,124,800 collected from students in the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 academic sessions.

Also, according to a statement by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Patrick Ukah, Omolade has been posted to the headquarters of Technical and Vocational Education Board in Asaba, while normal disciplinary procedures are being initiated for his early exit from the service.

The commissioner stated that the sanctions were in line with the findings of a board of inquiry set up by the ministry and the reports have been approved by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

Ukah said the principals of the five other technical colleges are to be issued letters of warning for engaging in illegal collection of levies, adding that they are to refund the amounts collected from students and examination candidates.

He said the Chief Inspector of Education in Sapele Local Government Area, Mrs. Patience Ishegbe is to be recalled to headquarters and queried, just as the Chief Inspector of Education for Oshimili North Field Office, Mrs. Marian Oju and that of Isoko North Field Office, Mr. Fidelis Ogbotobo have been recalled to the headquarters of the ministry in Asaba. Similarly, Mrs. Veronica Igbigwe has been removed as head teacher, demoted by one grade level and posted out of Okotie Eboh Primary School I, Sapele, and also the exact amount of unauthorised levies collected should be determined for her to refund.

The Chairman and Secretary of the Association of Primary School Heads (AOPSHON), Sapele Local Government Area chapter, Obukohwo Iguele and Akpore Umuhurhu were also not spared, as they have been demoted by one rank/salary grade level and posted out of their current schools.

They are also barred from heading any school for the next two academic sessions.