Ekiti govt summons principal over collection of unauthorized fees

The Ekiti State Government on Monday summoned the Principal of Ado Grammar School, Ado Ekiti, Mr Ebenezer Falayi, over report of alleged collection of unauthorized fees and other levies.

The Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, who summoned the principal to his office said he has been receiving complaints that some school heads were still defying the Executive Order prohibiting collection of illegal fees pupils and students of public schools.

Egbeyemi as saying the government would not allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to defy the Executive Order stopping collection of illegal levies.

The Deputy Governor, however, pardoned the Principal on compassionate grounds as he is due to retire from service at the end of the current academic session.

Egbeyemi revealed that he received complaints from two parents from Ado Grammar School that the principal was alleged to have been collecting a sum of N6,900 from each students for school uniforms, socks, school barge, cardigan, sports vest, hymn book, prospectus, file jackets and examination fee.

The Deputy Governor maintained that the full wrath of the law would be visited on any principal or head teacher that flouts the Executive Order banning collection of illegal fees in public schools.

He explained that the executive order signed by Governor Kayode Fayemi shortly after his assumption of duty was aimed at increasing the enrollment of students in public schools which he claimed had reduced drastically in the last four.

Egbeyemi who stressed that no student must be sent out of school for any reason, said that it was an offence to collect any fee whatsoever in Ekiti State public schools.

The Deputy Governor, who on compassionate ground pardoned the principal, gave a strong warning that any school head or principal caught in the act would be made to face the wrath of the law.

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Egbeyemi said: “I decided to pardon you because you have served the state for close to 35 years and you shouldn’t be sent home unmeritoriously order wise, i would have ordered your suspension.”

Faluyi who confessed to the allegation claimed that he collected the fees after seeking clarification from the President of All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, ANCOPSS, Ekiti State Chapter, Mr. Abiodun Omotoso, since the money was to cover materials to be used by the students.

Falayi, who is due to retire in the next academic session, pleaded for leniency saying he has order the immediate stoppage of the collection and promised not to get involved in such act again.