Press Releases

Illegal Fees: Fashola Directs Suspension Of Five Principals, Head Teachers

Nov 4, 2008 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Tuesday directed the immediate suspension of three Principals and two Head Teachers for acts inimical to the administration’s free education policy in public schools.

The action followed incessant reports which drew the Governor’s attention to allegations that some unscrupulous Principals and Head Teachers have continued to charge illegal fees under various guises and also attaching conditions to the distribution of textbooks which the Government directed should be done free of charge.

In a Press Release signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, Governor Fashola stated that no school Principal or Head Teacher had the right to demand payments for books provided by the State Government.

This according to Governor Fashola is because “those books have been fully paid for from taxes of Lagosians many of whom are parents and guardians of the children”.

The Governor said he viewed the collection of illegal fees as an act of sabotage and therefore directed the Deputy Governor, who oversees the Education Ministry, to take immediate action to put a stop to the unwholesome practice.

Governor Fashola also asked the Deputy Governor to immediately suspend Principals and Head Teachers of affected schools adding that the Vice Principal and Deputy Head Teachers of such schools should take over until investigations are concluded.

“Anybody who is found to be not culpable will be immediately re-instated to his or her duty post”, the Governor said.

Imploring all parents and guardians to continue to co-operate with the State Government in its efforts to provide qualitative education to their children and wards in public schools which informed the provision of the basic learning tools, Governor Fashola urged them to continue to report any school principal or head teacher who make any illegal demands from them.

The Principals suspended for allegedly collecting illegal fees on the free textbooks given to pupils and furniture provided by the State Government are Ijaiye-Ojokoro Junior Secondary School, Coker Secondary School Orile and Lagos State Model College, Igbo-Nla. The affected Head Teachers are from Jimoh Ojora Primary School, Ajeromi and Ayetoro Primary School, Akoka.

Only yesterday, Governor Fashola appealed to all Teachers, Principals and Tutors General to comply unfailingly with all the regulations laid down by the State Government for the free distribution of textbooks to all pupils from Nursery Schools to the Senior Secondary schools.