RIVERS State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has warned that his administration will dismiss and prosecute any school head found to be collecting school fees and or levies in primary and secondary schools across the state.

Wike issued this warning after announcing the total abolition of all forms of fees and levies in public primary and secondary schools across the state.

He directed state-owned primary and secondary schools to stop collecting fees and levies from students and pupils with immediate effect.

The governor explained that henceforth, the state government would be sending direct allocations to all primary and secondary schools management for their operations.

He spoke on Monday during a meeting with the heads of primary and secondary schools, Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools Board and State Universal Basic Education Board at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

“Henceforth, no child, either in primary or secondary school should pay fees and levies in any school across the state.

“The monies you collect from these children are just used for your personal purposes. If I hear that any school head collects any fees or levies, be they examination, NECO or WAEC fees, that school head would be sanctioned.

“We shall not only dismiss the school head who collects fees or levies; we will prosecute the person involved. Government will work out grants that will be sent to the schools for their regular management and operations,” Wike stressed.

The governor directed the State Ministry of Education, Senior Secondary Schools Board and the State Universal Basic Education Board to monitor all public schools across the state to ensure compliance.

According to him, his administration funds the salaries, allowances, examinations and equipment of all public schools.

Wike assured parents that his administration would remain committed to the provision of quality education, which he said was accessible to the less privileged.

“I have abolished all fees and levies and it will never happen again in our public primary and secondary schools. Nobody should collect fees and levies from the children of the less privileged,” he said. – Punch

– June 24, 2018 @ 19:12 GMT |