By Patrick Obia
Mr. Castro Ezama, Special Adviser on Education to the Cross River State Governor, Sen. Ben Ayade has urged parents and guardians of primary school pupils to retrieve whatever money they have paid for school fees, reiterating that “primary education in Cross River is free and compulsory.”
Mr. Castro gave the directive when he was hosted on episode 289 of the Hit 95.9 FM topical radio program – The Dialogue With Agba Jalingo, which is aired every Sunday, 6:15pm to 7pm.
To buttress the seriousness of his boss, he maintained that, “If anyone asks you for school fees, please write to the Governor through the SUBEB Chairman and I assure you I will take it up. Parents should stop paying fees. Most times though it is not confirmed that even people in government go to pay school fees for primary school pupils in our public schools, they should stop.
“We must all raise our voices, work together to stop these illegalities; if our parents don’t pay, our public schools will not shut down. My heart bleeds that these things are happening, you get these fees and there are schools I have visited and I see our kids sitting on bare floors to learn, so what are you using it for? What are we doing? Our big boys and us that are privileged today, how did we go to school? How was it when we attended school? Why must we do this to our kids?”
“This is illegal, parents should not pay again. In fact I’m even asking parents to collect what they have paid. I am in government and I am saying we need to stop, everybody should be involved in this crusade; parents, like I said if we don’t pay our public primary schools will not be shut down,” he said with emotion.
He traced the free and compulsory education policy to the UBEC Act of 2004, he gave out his number live on the radio program for any aggrieved parent or guardian to call, it is 08066714208.
Also speaking on the program, the Executive Director of Atycare Initiative, Miss. Atim Eso said her organization is heartbroken when she sees children roaming the streets because of fee drives.
Earlier she had accused the government of insincerity in its policy implementation regarding education.
Atim disclosed that her NGO has been paying fees for pupils and support with other educational material.
She said if the government as promised by the SA Education to Governor Ayade weed out the negative elements extorting money from students in the name of fees, Cross River State will have one of the best educational systems in Nigeria.
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