Abia Moves Against Illegal Fees In Public Schools

By Ayodele Oni

The Abia State Government has explained that only students in Senior Secondary School class are eligible to pay only three thousand Naira as officially approved fees.

It warned public school Principals and Head Teachers to stop collecting unapproved fees and levies from students, in Primary and Junior secondary school classes declaring that offenders will face strict penalties.

Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, gave the warning during a press briefing at the Government House in Umuahia, after the  State Executive Council meeting.

He stressed that the practice violates the state’s policy of free and compulsory education for pupils in public primary and junior secondary schools.

Kanu noted that the government had already made provisions to fund school operations, making any form of illegal fee collection unacceptable.

“This government will no longer tolerate such dishonest behavior. Any official found guilty will be dealt with according to the law and may be dismissed from service.”

He also provided updates on the recent teacher recruitment exercise. According to him, the final stage of the process, which involved certificate screening and oral interviews, ran from March 31 to April 4.

Out of the candidates who took part, about 7,000 applicants, among them 180 individuals living with disabilities, were shortlisted for meeting the 45% and above benchmark.

Those who scored between 40% and 44% were placed on a reserve list to fill possible vacancies caused by disqualification or absenteeism.

The commissioner explained further that the recruitment effort aims to build a strong database of qualified teachers to support the growing number of students enrolling due to the free education policy.

He also announced a second recruitment phase for applicants who missed the first round.

In addition, the state has partnered with the Education Reformation and Innovation Team to train 2,200 teachers across three centres, Aba, Umuahia, and Ohafia.

The training, which runs from April 10 to 19, is expected to enhance teaching standards and improve student performance in public schools.

Speaking further, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Goodluck Ubochi, emphasized that the recruitment initiative will help address the teacher shortage, especially in technical and vocational subjects where demand remains high.