Wike Abolishes Fees, Levies for Public Primary, Secondary Schools in Rivers

In a bid to create access to quality education, Rivers State Governor,  Nyesom Wike, has announced the total abolition of all forms of fees and levies  in public primary and secondary schools across the state.

He also directed that no principal of any public school in the state should collect fees from students for the West African School Certificate (WASC) or National Examination Council (NECO) fees.

Wike, who spoke on Monday during a meeting with the heads of primary and secondary schools, Rivers  State Senior Secondary Schools Board and State Universal Basic Education Board at the Government House, Port Harcourt, directed State-Owned Primary and Secondary Schools  to stop collecting fees and levies from students  and pupils  with immediate effect.

He stated that henceforth the state government would be sending direct allocations  to all primary  and secondary schools management  for their  operations.

He said: "From today,  no child either in primary and  secondary schools should  pay fees and levies in any school  across the State.

"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 noted that the administration  funds the salaries,  allowances, examinations  and equipment  of all public  schools. He assured  parents that his administration would 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 school heads celebrated the new directive of the Rivers State governor, as he promised that the government would support the commission in order to achieve the set goal.