By Amos Aar
THE BENUE State Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Economy, Dr. Fredrick Ikyaan, has denied authorising secondary schools to collect money from students or any other person in the state as Christmas fee.
Dr Ikyaan warned school principals, heads of departments, and agencies against such action, saying anyone caught doing so would be punished.
The commissioner, who gave the warning in a statement made available to newsmen in Makurdi, said he had received information about the collection of money from students on the pretext that they were coming to celebrate the Christmas with him and the governor.
“I hereby wish to assert that I have not authorised anybody, no agency, no department, nobody whatsoever that is working under the Ministry of Education to collect any fees or any such other money in the name of coming to celebrate Christmas with me, the honourable commissioner or the governor.”
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“I also hereby wish to warn whosoever maybe involved in such practice.”
“I also wish to state categorically to our principals and other high ranking officers of the ministry, whether here at the headquarters or in our outstations or in the agencies under the ministry, that we have not authorised any officers to act on our behalf in collecting fees, or any other prescribed money under whatever guise.”
According to the commissioner, the Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia administration came in at a time the people of the state had gone through a lot of challenges due to bad governance.
“Rather than add more to their sufferings, the administration is looking for ways of making things easier for the masses and the ministry of education is not going to be an exception.
“We as an administration in Benue, sympathise with the sufferings of the Benue masses and civil servants over the years.
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“We have come at a time like this not to add to their burden, or to exert anything from them whatsoever, but to improve their lives and be a blessing to them in all ways. “We will therefore not want to exacerbate their situation or their condition and take a toll on them. Rather, we will add value to them in the best way that we can. Let this therefore be a warning to all,” he stated.
