Tobias Sylvester
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has announced the total abolition of all forms of fees and levies in public primary and secondary schools across the state.
The governor directed state-owned primary and secondary schools to stop collecting fees and levies from students and pupils with immediate effect in a bid to increase access to quality education.
Governor Wike made the announcement during a meeting with the Heads of Primary and Secondary Schools, Senior Secondary Schools Board and Universal Basic Education Board at Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday, June 24, 2019.
“From today henceforth, no child either in primary and secondary schools should pay fees and levies in any school across the state,” he said.
“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 directed the State Ministry of Education, the Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools Board and the State Universal Basic Education Board to monitor all public schools across the state to ensure compliance.
The Governor stated that the administration funds the salaries, allowances, examinations and equipment of all public schools. He assured parents that his administration will remain committed to the provision of quality education, which is 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.
The statement signed by Simeon Nwakandu, media aide to the Governor, said the school heads celebrated the new directive of the Rivers State Governor.
