Traditional rulers in Ebonyi State have pleaded with Governor Dave Umahi to recruit more teachers for the education sector in order to improve the quality of education in the state. They also berated some headteachers in some rural schools over alleged extortion and intimidation of parents with all sorts of illegal and unapproved school levies which has led to the increasing number of out of school children in the state.
Some of the traditional rulers, President Generals and Village Heads who expressed the worry during a meeting with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) on school enrolment campaign drive called on the state government to show more commitment on the proscription of collection of unapproved fees and levies in all public schools.
In his presentation, the Regent of Umuhuali Autonomous community in Ishielu Local Government Area of the State, Prince Benjamin Onwa, noted that it is not enough for government to make policies but there must be a concerted effort to ensure that such warning and policies statements are abided by the actors adding that sanctions should be melted on any school head found aiding and abetting collection of illegal fees and levies.
The traditional ruler noted that it is unacceptable for Ebonyi State to continue to be among states with high low school enrolment indices in the country pointing out that apart from ignorance on the part of some parents, get rich quick syndrome, another major factor identified to have aided low enrolment and out of school is the issue of collection of unapproved levies by headteachers.
He called on the State Governor, Chief David Umahi and other authorities in the state to treat as criminal offence any headteacher or principal extorting money from school pupils and parents to serve as a deterrent to others who may want to perpetrate such act that has hindered school enrolment in the state.
The UNICEF desk officer in SUBEB, Mr. Christogomus Nweke, commended UNICEF for its laudable initiative aimed at getting school children in the state in school noting that the campaign has achieved much since its inception.
