The Kogi House of Assembly has issued an ultimatum, demanding that the state Ministry of Education pay N497.3 million in examination fees to the West African Examination Council (WAEC) by December 30.
The house questioned why Governor Yahaya Bello’s approved fees had not reached the examination body’s coffers.
Mr. Umar Yusuf, the Speaker of the House, delivered the deadline to Mr. Wemi Jones, the state Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, in Thursday’s plenary sitting.
Meanwhile, the commissioner of education said that some school principals were collecting WAEC fees and other levies despite the release of the funds by the state government.
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Earlier in November, Governor Bello released the sum of N497.3m for the payment of the fees for 15,033 students across the 21 local government areas of the state, yet until now, the payment had not been effected.
Jones, who appeared before the house, had confirmed the release of the fund but that the process of payment was in progress.
- “I hereby wish to inform this honourable house that the fund released by our caring governor is not missing but intact in the coffers of the ministry’s account.
- “I assure you that very soon it will reach WAEC before the closing date of Jan.28, 2024, and not to any principal or school, ” he explained.
According to him, education is free in Kogi state.
He mentioned that principals, school heads, and examination officers are not authorized to collect any amount, whether a Kobo or otherwise, from students as WAEC or PTA levy in Kogi.
However, he noted that this rule does not apply to private schools in the state, emphasizing that the government is not responsible for the academic fees in the private sector.
- “Private schools are not included in this government largesse as those involved will go through a verification exercise to ascertain the true number of the students,” he added.
Jones also explained that the fee for WAEC in the state is N33,100 only for the year 2024 and warned private schools not to charge a Kobo more, so as not to be sanctioned by the ministry.
