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Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Campaign Organisation has raised the alarm over alleged move by the Kogi State government to stop private individuals from paying West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fees for students in the state.
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According to the organisation, this directive was coming few days after the Kogi Central Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, promised to offset WAEC fees of students in her senatorial district.
It added that in a letter by the Executive Chairman of the state’s Science, Technical Education and Teaching Service Commission (STETSCOM), Cecilia Cook, the state government said it took the decision because of the security situation in the country.
The state government allegedly warned that any school principal who failed to comply with the instruction would be sacked. But Cook said there was no such directive from the state government as it relates to payment of WAEC fees.
According to her, the government just raised an internal memo to checkmate schools embarking on excursions with students without express permission from the authorities, to enable it take proper security measures, considering the security situation in the country.
The memo reads: “All principals of public and grant-aided schools must obtain permission from the commission for any internal or external programme.
“As a result of the security situation in our nation, all the STETSCOM zonal directors are directed to inform all the principals in their respective zones, that students’ participation in zonal programmes outside their schools and outside the state is strictly on permission by the authority of STETSCOM.
“The zonal directors should sternly warn the principals in their zone that should any default on this instruction, he or she will certainly be shown the way out.”
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