Illegal fees in Delta basic schools: Govt aids the extortion -Gbemre

Social justice advocate, Zik Gbemre has blamed the impunity of extortion by heads of public basic schools in Delta State, on government insensitivity to proper monitoring, and failure to provide basic needs in the schools.

Gbemre, National Coordinator, Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC) expressed the concern, following report of collection of N2000 as examination fee by the authorities at Jeremi Secondary School, Otu-Jeremi, headquarters of Ughelli South Local Government Area.

Some parents at the school had been agitated at the N2000 exam charges, but new School Principal, Mrs Emily Obokome explained, “The (students) were not told to pay N2000, they use to pay that before, but when I came, they were told to pay N1500 now”.

Gbemre’s anger over the development rest on a statement by the Commissioner for Basic Education, Patrick Ukah, expressing “zero tolerance for illegal levies, reiterating that any Principal or School Head caught in the act will face with wrath of the law” while also asserting that some school heads were being investigated.

The NDPC boss said, “This is another reminder that government is only good at churning out laws without will of enforcement. The commissioner is either being hypocritical, or simply doesn’t care. That to me is tacit aiding and abetting of management misconducts in the schools.

“A commissioner is alerted of a specific case, and he’s talking of investigating some school heads. The Delta state government has school inspectors in various localities it pays every month to monitor, and enforce decorum in the schools.

“What does it take to confirm or disprove a case of extortion that can’t be done in a matter of hours. And in fairness to the School Heads, some of this illegal collections are excusable because government fails in its duty to provide basic needs in the schools.

“I have seen the approved fees for basic schools often published by Ukah, and N2000 or N1500 exam fees is not one of them, but then the Ministry has failed to provide printed examination question papers it pledged to do for the schools.

“So school heads lash on government failure, pass the burden to parents but that’s not enough for a school head to ask for unapproved N2000 exam fees for public schools at an era government, is determined to ensure that no child of School age is denied basic education due to charges majority peasants parent can’t afford. From what we gathered, the slash from N2000 was even after the host community leadership intervened.”