The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter says it will comply with the government’s directive on the cancellation and re-application for approval of private schools within two weeks.
Chairman of the association, Chief Victor Green while speaking in an interview with The Tide after the meeting of the Governor and proprietors of private schools at Government House, Port Harcourt said Governor Nyesom Wike has good intentions for the educational development of the state.
According to him, the NAPPS would work in synergy with the government in ensuring quality education in the state and hailed the state chief executive for what he is doing in the education sector, saying that his decision to abolish school fees in public schools and the payment of JAMB fees for candidates in the state was commendable.
Also responding, the proprietress of Heralds Pedagogical Resources, Ogbogoro, Dr (Mrs) Chigaemezi Emejuru said: “we are happy with the way Governor Wike wants to position the educational system of the state”, pointing out that the way and manner local government agents were dealing with private schools was worrisome.
She explained that different persons were coming to extort money from them in the name of local governments, saying that proprietors are happy for the governor’s intervention and decision to monitor and handle all forms of payments directly from his office instead of the so-called local government agents who were acting as touts.
According to her, “we prefer paying any approved fees as directed by the governor through designated banks and not to the local government agents, some of whom are fake”.
A proprietor, Elder Ben Agomuoh said the governor’s decision would save them from the hands of local government extortionists who collect multiple levies from private schools if the government enforces its decision to the latter and landed Governor Wike over the abolition of school fees in government-owned primary and secondary schools and payment of JAMB fees for candidates, a gesture that would alleviate the sufferings of parents.
Another proprietress, Lolia Maeba said the governor’s decision would bring a huge relief to private school proprietors and save them from the embarrassments caused by local government agents who collected illegal levies from them and appealed for its implementation.

Shedie Okpara