Group appeals to Ebonyi government to reduce school fees

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Advocacy For Good Governance (AFGG), has appealed to the Ebonyi Government to revert the boarding/ school fees hike in the state’s 36 boarding secondary schools

The Coordinator of the group, Mr Okenwa Uka, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abakaliki.

Uka said that as a result of the increase, many students whose parents and guardians could not afford the current boarding/school fee had not gone back to school six weeks after resumption.

He urged the Umahi’s administration to revert to the old boarding/school fees of N5,000 per term to save the future of the affected school children.

“The past administration of former Gov. Martin Elechi converted some pilot secondary schools in the state into model boarding schools with a tuition fee of N5, 000, per term, but the present administration increased it to N16, 000 per term.

“The development is not only sad but disheartening and capable of eroding the objective of establishing the boarding schools.

“Access to sound education is the right of every child hence as an organisation committed to enthronement of good governance, we are urging the Ebonyi government to rescind its decision,” he said.

Uka also appealed to the government to look into the plight of the students on foreign scholarships, who were stranded due to the inability of government to pay their tuition fees.

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He stressed that the group was formed to enthrone positive change and to ensure that the tenets of democracy and accountability were entrenched in the present administration of Gov. David Umahi.

The coordinator explained that the platform was not out to antagonise the Umahi- led administration, but to redirect the focus of the administration to suit interest and demands of the people.

The coordinator expressed readiness of the group to partner with the state government to foster good governance, promote rule of law and fast track development in the state.