Kunle Adelabu
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Jamiu Tolani Alli -Balogun, on Saturday, reacted that the Lagos State Government has directed all Principals in model colleges across the state, that are having faceoff with the parents’ forum over the increment in boarding fees, to allow students resume on Monday.
He said that there is no directive that any student should be prevented from attending school, because of the inability or refusal of their parents to pay the reviewed N100, 000 fee.
Mr Alli – Balogun spoke at the commissioning and handing over of two hostels of 100 – capacity each constructed by the Fadugba Ogunlewe Royal Family of Igbogbo, at the Lagos State Civil Service Model College, Igbogbo.
He was reacting to the submission by the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, Oba Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, and that of the management of the Lagos State Civil Service Model College, Igbogbo, which has been having serious faceoff with parents over the boarding fee increment, that government should consider the request of the protesting parents.
The royal father also informed that he has invited both parties to his palace, for deliberation.
Reacting, Honourable Commissioner Alli – Balogun said that the ministry has conducted investigation into the boarding fees being paid in other states, and used the lowest as the minimum standard when the fees was reviewed.
While justifying that the N35, 000 is not enough to feed the students for three terms, the commissioner also stated that the ministry do not recognize any umbrella body of the parents’ forum, but those in individual model colleges.
“I would need to open up to you on some certain things. We do not tell anybody to send any of our students out of the school. The issue has been on ground since 2021, when the boarding fee was reviewed to N35, 000 with a clause that it would be test – run for two terms and be reviewed.
“Since then, it was dropped. We did not allow the schools to do that.
“The umbrella calling itself the association of blahblah. We don’t have that in our ministry, but we recognize parent forum in each model colleges. We don’t have an umbrella body.
“Fortunately or unfortunately, they wrote to my office in January this year, stating categorically that they have conducted research, whereby, they discovered that 95% or 97% of students in model colleges, have ulcer and I asked where they got the data from.
“Well, that means that from the submission, the students are not having a good nutritional intake. That also means that the N35, 000 is not enough.
“In May this year, we held a meeting with two representatives each from the model colleges. Before the meeting, Dawodu came to my office to know if he will be allowed into the meeting and he was there.
“There and then, we realized that the N35, 000 was never enough for three square meals a day for three terms, and I told them that whatever we conclude at, the schools will get back to them.
“I set up a committee to compare across the board and come up with what will be the minimum, taking into consideration the inflationary trend in Nigeria’s economy. In 2021, we bought a bag of rice at N21, 000, what is the price now?
“They went and come back with a report that Ogun State is collecting N150, 000; Ondo State N110, 000 and Ekiti N100, 000 and thereafter, we agreed on the minimum which is the price being paid in Ekiti State”, Mr Alli – Balogun clarified.
While challenging any parent to disprove his claims, the Commissioner disclosed that the approval for the review was given by the Governor.
“The approval was given by the Governor, because I can’t do anything on my own. There was an executive approval and the money is not being paid to the ministry or my pocket. It is paid directly to the school. But they said that they want to be going to the market with the principals.
“I stand to be corrected, if any member (parents’ forum) is here, he should come out to say it . They said they need accountability and transparency. One (Agbabiaka) even said that he is paying N3.5 million in Babcock University.
“If you are paying N3.5m in Babcock, do you ensure accountability in Babcock?”, he asked.
Justifying the reason why the reviewed boarding fees must stay, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education said:
“The House of Assembly intervened and I told them that there is no way…. Also, l said that they should allow the Principals to talk because its not my place to talk for them, they should say it athemselves, and they spoke and gave justification for the review. Even, buying gas at the moment, we know what the cost is.
“The Governor came on the Channels Television that he cannot be providing infrastructures and at the same time, augmenting feeding of the students, on the basis that, one, boarding school are more or less choice schools. There are other public schools.
“Those in the model colleges are less than 1.8% of the total number of students in public schools. Why should that be an issue when compared with other 98% of students?”, he asked.
The Commissioner, who expressed his displeasure at the behaviours of the parents, also revealed that the government encouraged flexible payment plans to make the payment easier for the protesting parents.
“In addition, we gave options for flexible payment plans. If you cannot pay once, pay twice and if that is not possible, pay three times. We even extend it to four and with a caution that all Principals should not, under any situation, ask students to leave the school or prevent them from coming to the school, for not paying the reviewed boarding fee.
“I told Kabiyesi when he asked about it this morning,,and I told him that the students will be allowed to resume and when they are going for the first term holiday, the school sholud write a bill to the parents on what they owing and what they would pay for the next term.
“I don’t know what they want to gain from this? They came to Alausa on Friday, and I can’t imagine parents rolling themselves on the streets of Lagos and blocking the entrance of the whole Alausa from morning till evening. Can a rationale human being do that?
“The caliber of people that they brought shows that they are not even parents.
“I just have to clear this, because Kabiyesi made reference to the teachers and I am here. Such should be directed to me sir”, Honourable Commissioner for Education said.
Meanwhile, THE IMPACT gathered that the parents’ forum is planning to prevent their children from resuming to model colleges on Monday, and also sustain their protests until the government reverts to the N35, 000 old fee.
