By Lovins Yakubu
25/06/2017
The ministry of
Education, Plateau State, Nigeria has been accused of blackmailing proprietors
of secondary schools in the state. It is alleged that the ministry has made it
compulsory for secondary schools in the state to purchase portrait of the Commissioner
(Lower Education) Hon. Alex Joseph Maigari, at the sum Twelve Thousand naira (N12,000.00) or face sanctions. This
allegation was made by the Plateau State chairman of the newly registered
political party, Action Democratic Party, Ambassador Nanyah Andrew Daman JP on
Saturday during a radio programme, (view point) Rhythm 93.7 fm Jos. According
to the chairman, “both government and private secondary schools are forced to
buy 2-3 pieces of portrait of the commissioner”.
 |
| Simon Bako Lalong |
When African Drum met him in his office at
No. 7, Dogon Dutse, Jos for more clarification, he said that the ministry has
issued warning of sanction against any school that fail to purchase the
portrait, chief Daman said that in addition to that, the ministry has imposed
hundred naira (N100) levy on every
student in all the secondary schools in the state for the building of zonal
inspectorate offices across the 17 local governments and another fifty thousand
naira (N50,000.00) inspection fee
imposed on every secondary school in the state with a strong warning that any
school that default will not be allowed to write the senior school certificate
of Education (SSCE) examinations among other threats.
However,
the Commissioner of Education, Honourable Alex Joseph Maigari while speaking to
African Drum denied all the
allegations describing them as blatant lies adding that they only exist in the
figment of the imagination of their
creators.
 |
| Hon. Maigari |
According to the commissioner, it is only an insane person
that would force the sale of his portrait on other people. “How can hanging a
portrait in an office translate to achieving our mandate”?, he asked rhetorically.
He added that the ministry has a mandate and it is working towards achieving
that mandate to achieve qualitative education in the state and sale of portrait
is not part of the mandate.
On the imposition of N100 levy for the building of zonal inspectorate offices, Hon.
Maigari said that the person making that allegation is ignorant of the workings
in public office “So because I am a commissioner I can unilaterally imposed a
levy on all the secondary schools in the state and none of the affected schools
is unable to challenge that only for somebody who was opportune to be in a
radio programme to raise the issue. This is unfortunate. Some people think that
the work of the opposition is to make baseless allegation. If I had imposed any
levy on any school the issue would have come up before now. It is not true”. He
said.
On
the N50,000 inspection fee, the
commissioner said that inspection fee is only applicable to new establishments
i.e new schools which is N25,000 and
not N50,000 as alleged. On the
allegation that any school that fails to comply with any of the directives will
not be allowed to write SSCE examinations, he said that is not possible because
according to him, that does not form part of the condition given to the
students when they were admitted.
How can a human being in his right senses
refused a child to write final exams because the school has refused to buy a
portrait of a commissioner? “All these allegations are baseless aimed at
tarnishing my reputation and the image of the ministry and the administration
of Governor Lalong. But these would not deter us. We have a mandate, and we are
on track towards achieving our mandate and we cannot be distracted by mischief
makers.”
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