Akwa Ibom principal flouts govt policy, imposes N10,000 fees on students

A School Principal in Akwa Ibom State has flouted the state government’s free and compulsory education policy by imposing N10,000 fees on students taking the National Examination Council.

Paul Nkanta, the Principal of St.Mary’s Science College, Ediene Abak, in Abak Local Government Area of the state, admitted imposing the fee when a PREMIUM TIMES reporter met him in his office on 3 July.

The Akwa Ibom State Government about a month ago demoted a principal for extorting students, Leadership newspaper reported.

With poor infrastructure in some public schools in Akwa Ibom, it is common to see students sitting on the bare floor to take lessons. Like in other states in Nigeria, students from low-income backgrounds attend public schools in Akwa Ibom, while children of the elite attend choice private schools within and outside the state.

Imposing fees on vulnerable students shows how school heads in the state circumvent the government’s free education policy and further impoverish poor parents.

Facts about the fee

PREMIUM TIMES found out about the ‘illegal’ fees at St. Mary’s Science College through a parent who expressed concerns over it via a WhatsApp group.

“On the issue of extra fees, we’ve been fed (up) with the story that parents unanimously agreed to support the school with N10,000 each since so many people are indebted to the school, but mine is when the debts are finally paid, will the N10, 000 be returned to the owners? Is this not a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul?

“That aside, about 105 candidates are writing NECO. Can you show proof that at least half of the parents here were invited to the meeting? By the way, how many parents were in the meeting where this decision was taken? What guarantee do we have that the attendance to that meeting was not censored?” the parent queried, in the group chats.

Besides the alleged “illegal” fees, a teacher in the school also accused the principal of not taking action over a series of thefts in the school, particularly some laboratory equipment carted away 48 hours before the external examination.

According to the teacher, the school laboratory was burgled two days before WAEC Physics practical examination with “all the retort stands, pendulum bobs, slotted weights and so many other items carted away”.

The theft, he said, was reported to the principal.

Days after, a biology teacher in the school reported the theft of items in the biology laboratory, including “all microscopes, three ovens and so many other things,” the teacher alleged.

Principal reacts

Reacting to the allegations against him, the principal, Mr Nkanta initially referred our reporter to the State Secondary School Board (SSEB), the state government’s department that regulates the activities of secondary schools in the state.

But when the reporter insisted that the allegations were personal to the principal, Mr Nkanta said he reported the thefts and missing items in the school to the SSEB.

On the allegation of N10,000 “illegal” fees on students writing NECO examination in the school, Mr Nkanta admitted it but said he got the approval of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).

“Go to the PTA chairperson. We did it officially, not in secret. It was documented in the minutes. If you want information, meet the PTA chairperson,” the principal told PREMIUM TIMES.

When contacted, the PTA chairperson, Uduakobong Udofa, confirmed that the principal got the PTA’s approval for the fees.

“Yes, he (the principal) discussed it with the PTA as a group and they gave him consent for the payment. He made an appeal to parents in a well-constituted PTA meeting, and they agreed with him,” Mr Udofa told PREMIUM TIMES on 7 July.

Both the principal and the PTA chairperson declined to disclose what the N10, 000 which was only paid by NECO candidates was meant for.

Principal risk ‘demotion’ if found guilty – State govt

The Commissioner for Education in Akwa Ibom, Idongesit Etiebet, when contacted, described the principal’s action as “illegal”, adding that many of them have been demoted.

Mrs Etiebet, who admitted knowledge of school principals flouting government policy on free education, said the permanent secretary in the ministry was investigating three cases at hand.

“We have demoted many principals before. I’ve directed that it should be published in the press so that people will know,” she said.

Asked if school heads could bypass the ministry and secure the PTA approval to impose fees on students, the commissioner said it was an “offence.”

“I’ve had several meetings with heads of schools informing them that the PTA has no right to charge fees. If they (PTA) want to embark on a project, they should write the ministry for approval and execute it, but it should not be through the principal or teachers and without asking students to bring money.

“Because when you involve a principal, you are handing out a levy, and the Ministry of Education, which is acting on behalf of the government, has directed that illegal fees should not be charged.

“So when someone does that, it is an offence,” she said.

“You can report them to the SSEB and we will follow up and investigate it. Sometimes people can be wrongly accused. But what we do is to investigate it. We have demoted some of them.

“Every principal, once your name is mentioned under investigation, we put it in the press so that everybody will know that it is name and shame.

“Even me as a person, since the school is free and compulsory, the N10,000 allegedly charged by the principal is not a small amount of money to a common man in the village,” she said.