News
Illegal Fees Rock Public Schools In Rivers
In spite of the laudable efforts being made by the Rivers State Government towards ensuring access to education to all children of school age through its free education policy, there are emerging indications that some of those entrusted with the management of the public schools are compromising the free education programme.
Investigations by The Tide show that various fees are being charged by some of the school heads thereby defrauding parents whose children and wards study in these public schools.
In some public schools visited by our investigators, parents were being asked to pay some huge sums of money in the name of registration fees, examination fees and school uniforms.
At Community Secondary School, Rumuapara in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, parents were asked to pay N15,000 registration fee for any child entering into JSS III.
Apart from that, such child is also expected to purchase one shovel and a knife or pay a total of N1,500.
The Tide gathered that there is no receipt covering the fees as a ploy to cover the fraud. The explanation by the authorities is that the N15,000 covers school uniform and sports wears.
When asked if the government was aware of the fees, the reply was, “yes, the government is aware. We don’t give receipt but we submit the list of those who paid to the Ministry of Education for accountability.”
The respondent, who would not give her name, remarked that they spend much on security of the school and in keeping the premises clean for condusive academic activities.
In most public schools in Etche Local Government Area and other remote areas of the state, various forms of illegal fees are being paid by parents, as a pupil is made to pay N750.00 per term in the name of examination fees.
A parent, who spoke to our correspondent explained that her children forfeited terminal examinations for her inability to pay up the examination fee.
“I don’t understand what examination fee means when our government has given the state free education. Does it mean that setting and marking examination papers are not part of the jobs of the teachers?” she queried.
The parent, a widow, who does not want her name in print for fear of reprisal actions on her children, pleaded with the state government, particularly the authorities of Ministry of Education to make public all fees not covered by the free education policy as a guide to parents.
She equally enjoined school supervisors to wake up from their slumber and uncover those behind the illegal fees as well as those in authority giving them cover.
Meanwhile, contrary to insinuations that Rivers State Government-owned computers at the Model Primary School, Rukpokwu in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area have been removed from the offices, the head teacher said all the computers sent to the school were intact.
The Head Teacher, Eli Nwankwoala who made the clarification to The Tide in his office, explained that a total of 44 computer sets sent to the school as part of the ICT initiative of the state government were complete and in use. He, however, said, few of them were affected by a resent surge of electric power, nothing that even at that, the sets were still in the school and not removed to anywhere.
The school head, who took our reporter through the classes and the computer pool, remarked that, “one computer for the instructor, 13 for the class teachers and 30 for pupils, all amounting to 44 given to the school, are all present.”
He advised members of the public to discountenance the rumour as such insinuation could only come from enemies of progress and emphatically stated that the security in the school is tight, while stressing that it is untrue that the computers had been removed.
Chris Oluoh
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has indicted a new generation bank, six Fintechs and some microfinance banks in major financial scams by allowing fraudsters to launder huge sums of money.
Director of public Affairs of the Commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, made this known at a press briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, yesterday.
According to him, the compromised institutions allegedly allowed cryptocurrency transactions worth N162 billion to pass through without proper due diligence within the 2024/2025 financial year.
He said that the financial institutions clearly compromised banking procedures and allowed the fraudsters to safely change their ill-gotten gains into digital assets and move them to safe destinations.
“A total sum of N18.1 billion was moved through the financial system without due diligence of customers by the banks.
“It is worrisome that investigations by the commission showed that cryptocurrency transactions to the tune of N162 billion passed through a new generation bank without any due diligence.
“Investigations showed that a single customer maintained 960 accounts in another new bank and all the accounts were used for fraudulent purposes.
“That is bad news but the good news is that following our intervention the commission has been able to recover N33.62 million, which has been returned to some of the victims.”
He explained that the scams were in two categories, adding that the first was a syndicate of fraudsters that employed an airline discount scheme to lure their victims.
He said that they advertised a discount system for the purchase of flight tickets of a particular foreign carrier.
“The payment module is designed in such a way that the victims’ payment is actually made into the account of the airline.
“After payment is made the passenger’s entire funds in his bank account are emptied.
“Investigations showed that more than 700 victims have been scammed so far, with a loss of N651 million,” he said.
According to him, investigations show that the scheme is being masterminded by a foreign national; the commission has so far recovered and released N33 million to victims of the fraud.
He said that another scheme involved a company named Fred and Farid Investment Limited, simply called FF investment, which lured Nigerians into a bogus investment arrangement.
“More than 200, 000 victims have been defrauded in this regard. A total sum of N18 billion was raked in through nine companies offering diverse investment packages.
“The companies are: Credio Banco Limited; Deliberty Rock Limited; Liam Chumeks Global Service; Ngwuoke Daniels Technology; and Icons Autos and Import Merchant.
“Others are : Newpace Technology Services Limited, Primepath Ways Ventures Limited, Kaka Synergy Network Limited and Sunlight Tech Hub Services Limited.”
He said that foreign nationals were behind the schemes, while there are three Nigerian accomplices who have been arrested and charged to court.
He said that the masterminds were on the run and efforts are being made to bring them to book.
“The Commission is calling on regulatory bodies to bring financial institutions to compulsory compliance with regulations in the areas of Know Your Customers (KYC), Customer Due Diligence (CDD), Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and others.
“Deposit Money Banks, Fintechs, Micro Finance Banks found to be aiding and abetting fraudsters should be suspended and referred to the EFCC for thorough investigation and possible prosecution.
“Negligence and failure to monitor suspicious and structured transactions by banks should no longer be allowed,” he said.
While cautioning members of the public to be wary of these actors, he said that the EFCC would continue its works against money laundering by fraudulent actors.
Uwujaren urged financial institutions to firm up their operational dynamics and save the nation leakages and compromises bleeding the economy.
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