Some parents of pupils of the Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba, Lagos State, stormed the school on Saturday to protest against N6,500 fee for an ongoing hostel project in the institution and a sum of N3,000 charged for the washing of the pupils’ uniform.
It was learnt that the parents converged on the area around 9am, but most of them were dispersed by the school’s security officials.
However, a few protesters were adamant and displayed placards, which read, ‘Ugoji (The school’s principal) stop the extortion,’ and ‘Down with criminal PTA,’ among others.
While the protesters were about to leave, a Superintendent of Police, who tagged their action as “irrational,” ordered policemen from the Sabo Police Division to arrest the parents and two journalists – this correspondent and his counterpart from The Nation.
“I am also a parent. I have three children in this school. I know what the school was three years ago and what it is now. You (protesters) have not comported yourselves well,” he added.
Speaking with our correspondent before the arrest, one of the protesters, Anjorin Ahmed, said the school’s Parents Teacher Association came up with the idea of building a 1,200 bed-space hostel for the school last session and urged each parent to pay N30,000 in addition to the regular N15,000 PTA fee.
He said the PTA, during a PTA meeting, which was attended by its Chairman, Mrs. Oby Igwilo, the school principal, Mr. Chris Ugoji, and two representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education on December 18, 2015, told parents to pay additional N6,500 for the project. He added that most parents raised objections to the idea, but the amount was eventually included in the pupils’ second term school fees.
He said, “They said they wanted to build a hostel for female students and they brought a quotation of between N90m and N120m. We went for N120m and contributed N30,000 ─ N10,000 per term. That is in addition to the usual N5,000 PTA fee we pay per term. The pupils are more than 4,000 and every parent paid. When the school wanted to go on holiday on December 18, 2015, the PTA said they needed more money and asked us to pay additional N6,500. We objected to it.”
Another parent, Adegboyega Alaka, said they were also contesting N3,000 laundry fee and excess charges on textbooks, among others. He said the charges were introduced in July 2014 when the principal assumed the office.
“We are tired of paying extra fees. Why must we be building a hostel for the government? We have children in other schools.
“One year ago, the PTA introduced N3,000 laundry fee, which we unanimously rejected. But it was eventually injected in the school fees. They said if we fail to pay any of the fees, our children will not be allowed into the school.
“They also introduced N6,500 mid-day meal and we said no. They said it was optional, but lunch time, which used to be 2pm, was shifted to 3.30pm.”
Attah Jeremiah, whose child is in SS1, said, “The main school fee is N15,000, but this school has been turned into an avenue for extorting money from parents. I have not paid my child’s school fees for this term. I will only pay N15,000 which other federal schools are paying.”
Mrs. Doris Michael said the hostel was supposed to be government’s responsibility and urged that the fee should be cancelled.
“We are not supposed to pay for the building of hostels. It is the responsibility of the government,” she said.
Another man, Ojo Olushola, said the principal did not have “listening ears.” He said he had met with him, that his child’s school fees would be delayed because his wife had cancer on which he had spent much, but was turned down.
The principal and the PTA Chairman, however, denied the allegations that they extorted money from the parents, adding that the fees were for the good of the school.
The principal said, “There was decadence in the college when I came on board. Within a year and five months that I asumed office, FSTC is now an elitist school. The N30,000 was agreed upon before I came. It got exhausted last term and they (PTA) said they needed more money. But the parents said no. The laundry fee and the hostel project are PTA’s matters. We only help PTA to collect fees.
“It a is cheap blackmail that I extort money from parents. We are directed to collect N5,000 insurance fee annually by the government.”
The chairman, Igwilo, said the N6,500 was approved by the majority of the parents during the PTA meeting.
“The school requested the hostel project. We tabled it before parents and it was approved. The N5,000 per term is for the administrative running while the N30,000 is for the project.
“About 1,000 pupils did not pay the N30,000. The PTA and the school fees are not distinct; they must pay the two together. If their money is being mismanaged, we could not have got to where we are on the project,” she added.
The DPO, Sabo division, eventually urged the parents and the school management to resolve the matter amicably.
She also appealed to the journalists that the matter would not had degenerated into “coming to the station” if the policeman posted to monitor the protest was there throughout.”
