Kogiflame
The Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Campaign Organization, has raised the alarm over alleged move by the Kogi State government to stop private individuals from paying WAEC fees of students in the state.
In the state by the organization, said, this directive was coming few days after the Kogi Central Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate, Barr. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan promised to offset WAEC fees of students in Kogi Central senatorial district.
It added that in a letter by the Executive Chairman of Kogi State Science, Technical Education and Teaching Service Commission, Hon. Cecilia E. Cook, the state government said it took the decision because of security situation in the country.
It said the state government warned that any secondary school principal who fails to comply with the instruction will be shown the way out.
When contacted on Tuesday, the Executive Chairman of Kogi State Science, Technical Education and Teaching Service Commission, Hon. Cecilia Cook,(STETSCOM), said there was no such directive from the state government as it relates to payment of WAEC.
According to her, it just an internal memo to checkmate schools embarking on journey with the students without express permission fro the authorities to enable it take proper security measures, considering the security situation in the country.
The 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 programme outside their schools and external programme 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 Principal defaulted this instruction, he or she will certainly and surely be shown the way out.
Strictly comply with this instruction, please”, the letter reads.
Recall that Natasha H Akpoti -Uduaghan on December 11, 2022, declared to donate five million naira to offset WAEC fees of students in Kogi Central to help parents cushion the burden of paying the WAEC fees of their children in the five local government areas of Kogi Central senatorial distinct.
According to Akpoti-Uduaghan, “With this directive of the state government, the students across Kogi Central who would have been beneficiaries of the PDP senatorial candidate’s largesse are the biggest hit of the state government’s order.
“Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Campaign Organization noted that the decision of Kogi State government to stop the payment of WAEC fees because of security reason is baseless and an attempt to further punish the students whose parents have been denied of their salaries and could not pay their children’s WAEC fees.
