Heads May Roll Over Pupil Sent From School Owing To Her Failure To Pay Fee In Delta

The last may not have been heard of the saga which the viral video of the 7 years old girl, Success Adegor who was sent away from school over her inability to pay ‘school fees’ have generated in Delta State.

Ms. Adegor who was a victim of ‘illegal levy’ foist on parents in some of the state’s public schools was asked to go home over inability to pay ‘school fee’ but reports later say it was ‘examination levy’ that was demanded from her by authorities of Okotie-Eboh Primary School in the Urban Area of Sapele, Delta State.

A dependable source from Government House in Asaba told BIGPEN ONLINE that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa who was embarrassed over the development had directed thorough investigation into the claims that school fee was being collected in the said public school, those responsible for the charges, as well as officials who supervised the collection and remittance.

Already, a team of investigators comprising of the commissioner for Basic Education, Chinedu Ebie, and officials of State Universal Basic Education Board have been directed to under go a fact finding mission to the school to unravel the true position of things and those responsible for the dastardly act.

Our source disclosed that the development is already causing tension at the headquarters of SUBEB and Ministry of Basic Education over claims that several public schools under the watch of the government top officials in Asaba have been embroiled in school fees/levy scam as well as teachers posting and transfer scandal.

BIGPEN ONLINE learnt that Governor Okowa has been inundated with series of claims and petitions concerning the shady deals ongoing in most public schools particularly primary schools in the state involving Local Government Education Secretaries in various council areas and officials of Ministry of Basic Education, Post Primary Education Board, PPEB and SUBEB.

Our source disclosed that Governor Okowa was particularly worried over pictures of the dilapidated state of the school which had never been brought to his notice by officials saddled with responsibilities to supervise and mark public schools in the state for renovations.

Besides probing into the issue of the little girl, the governor was also concerned about the poor learning condition of the pupils in the school located off Macpherson road in the ancient city of Sapele as depicted in the photographs as well as why the school have remained under developed.

Pictures of the dilapidated and tattered classrooms, school building without decks, without ceiling, with rust all over it have been trending on the social media after the news of how little Success was sent home from school first hits the internet.

But the Delta State government in a bid to wiggle out of the mess had claimed that the school may not be a public school as “public schools in Delta State are completely free from tuition fees, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Charles Aniagwu had said in a statement in Asaba on Friday.

“We have also watched the video and read several comments on the matter where mischief makers tried to put culpability on the State Government. While we empathise with the little girl and her parents over her ordeal, it is important to state that Delta State Government runs free education at both primary and secondary school levels in all public schools in the state and therefore it is impossible to assume that the little girl was sent home from a public school in Delta State, Okowa had earlier said.

The governor who in the statement had empathised with the little girl and her parents over her ordeal, however mentioned how much efforts his administration have put in to standardise public schools in the state.

“It is also pertinent to state that the Okowa led administration since assumption of office has built and reconstructed over 4,000 classroom blocks and provided furniture, learning and instructional materials to public schools in the state with a view to making them conducive and competitive with the private schools.

“The Government has equally trained and retrained teachers in the employ of the State Government with a view to making them adapt to modern teaching techniques hence the establishment of an ultra modern Teachers Training Institute at Owa-Oyibu Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, Dr Okowa added.