The Ekiti State Government on Monday summoned the Principal of Ado Grammar School, Ado Ekiti, Mr Ebenezer Falayi, over report of alleged collection of unauthorised 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 from pupils and students of public schools.
A statement signed by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Deputy Governor, Odunayo Ogunmola, quoted 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 years.
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.
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 meritoriously.”
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