Towards govt coverage, Lagos college imposes N3,500 price on BECE candidates

Towards the coverage of the Lagos State Authorities, the administration of a public secondary college within the state has imposed a compulsory levy of N3,500 on the candidates that took half within the 2022 eating regimen of the Fundamental Training Certificates Examination (BECE).

The college, Randle Junior Secondary Faculty, Pelewura Crescent, Apapa, which falls below the state’s training District IV, additionally allegedly charged N2,200 price for tutorial courses.

Sources, nonetheless, confirmed that the tutorial courses have been by no means held and that solely a handful of the scholars paid.

Investigations by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that the varsity headed by Ola-Hamzat Olugbile as principal illegally imposed the BECE price on the scholars as a precondition for his or her participation within the examination.

A few of the dad and mom and lecturers of the varsity spoken to by this newspaper confirmed the event.

The principal, nonetheless, didn’t deny imposing the levy on the scholars, however insisted that “what you’ve got shouldn’t be the proper place of issues.”

Entrance of Randle Junior Secondary Faculty

Mr Ola-Hamzat and different officers of the varsity accused an unnamed particular person of being behind “the discharge of secret paperwork to PREMIUM TIMES.”

However the spokesperson for the state’s ministry of training, Ganiu Lawal, instructed this newspaper that solely personal college candidates are charged charges for the examination however that “it’s free for all state-owned faculties’ candidates.”

Details of extortion

Paperwork and different particulars obtained by this newspaper revealed that the varsity tasked every of the category lecturers for the 4 courses of JSS 3A to 3D to request the scholars to pay the cash to them.

In line with one of many involved college students, who doesn’t wish to be named for worry of punishment, the N3,500 expenses embody N1,000 for BECE, N1,000 for sensible, and N1,500 for the BECE outcomes.

In line with the coed, although she couldn’t increase the N3,500 directly, they have been permitted to pay in instalments.

She stated every of the 4 arms of the category has greater than 70 college students. Paperwork obtained by PREMIUM TIMES confirmed this declare.

One other scholar, who claimed his father is a industrial driver in Apapa, stated he was solely capable of pay N2,000 and didn’t know when he could be given the remaining N1,500 by the dad and mom.

“I reside with my grandmother as a result of my dad and mom aren’t any extra. The outdated lady is struggling to feed me and my siblings. So I’m even afraid to inform her at house,” one other scholar stated.

The scholar stated she had paid N1,500 sourced from her every day contributions and was solely praying that she could be permitted to sit down the examination.

However since she doesn’t personal a cellphone, our reporter was but to verify if she was permitted to sit down the examination by the varsity administration.

Dad and mom affirm extortion

To keep away from giving out their youngsters and wards, PREMIUM TIMES wouldn’t give the id of the dad and mom spoken to on this report. However all of them confirmed how a lot they’ve paid and for what function.

In a brief phone dialog, one of many dad and mom, who appeared like somebody within the market, initially snapped at our reporter, as she mistook him for a instructor within the college.

She stated one of many lecturers had been calling her to request the cost and that she had pledged to pay quickly.

“Sure, I’ve paid for the BECE examination, I gave my baby N2,000 first, then a steadiness of N1,500,” the mom stated on the cellphone.

One other guardian, a industrial tricycle rider, stated he already paid N3,000. “I paid it directly.”

Tutorial price

In the meantime, this newspaper additionally learnt that the varsity had earlier imposed a N2,200 tutorial price on the scholars.

However findings by this newspaper confirmed that the tutorial courses have been by no means held and that only some of the scholars paid the N2,200 cost.

Randle Junior Secondary Faculty college students throughout an extracurricular exercise

For individuals who paid the charges for the tutorial, a complete of N5,700 was calculated for them by the varsity.

Primarily based on the paperwork obtained by the newspaper and the calculation completed by the reporter, the varsity might have generated as a lot as N800,000.

Principal denies

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the varsity, the principal, Mr Ola-Hamzat, denied amassing cash from the scholars and admitted that the examination is free for them.

“It’s removed from the reality. The examination is free for the scholars. Are you round, do you wish to see me face-to-face? There’s nothing like that. I wish to see you face-to-say. Simply come to the varsity, let’s see in order that it is possible for you to to get the reality,” he stated.

However when confronted with the information of the funds, the principal stated he wouldn’t converse on the cellphone.

In the meantime, shortly after talking with the principal, a person who recognized himself merely as a unionist within the college threatened to cope with the reporter if the story is ever printed.

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Findings by PREMIUM TIMES revealed the id of the caller as Joseph Soremekun, who at present serves because the chairperson of the Nigerian Union of Academics (NUT) in Surulere Native Authorities Space.

Sources confirmed that he works with a public major college within the native authorities.

He stated: “I heard you’re about to publish false information. Go forward and do it and you’ll know that there’s a regulation within the nation that guides in opposition to “blasphemy.” I want you one of the best. You will notice the facility of the union in motion,” he threatened.

Principal, others meet reporter

In the meantime, on a latest go to to the varsity, PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter was engaged by the principal, two deputies, who have been recognized merely as Mrs Ogunye and Mr Sofowora in command of each administrative and tutorial duties respectively.

Additionally in attendance on the assembly have been the chairpersons of the Apapa department of the Nigeria Union of Academics (NUT) and the All Nigerian Confederation of Principals of Secondary Faculties (ANCOPS), Messrs Oyetakin O and Ibitoye J, respectively.

Although the principal insisted the paperwork have been pretend, Mrs Ogunye stated the varsity was conscious of “the particular person” behind the matter.

In line with Mrs Ogunye, the alleged suspect behind the revelation, which she refused to call, determined to spill the beans “as a result of the particular person was transferred from the varsity.”

She stated: “It’s a setup. The person who despatched the doc to you is understood. He despatched the doc as a result of he was transferred from this college to a different college and it didn’t go down nicely with him. If he doesn’t wish to go, does that imply that he ought to drag everyone to the mud?

“He’s in search of hassle in every single place. He’s a well known particular person”.

On his half, the NUT chair stated he was conscious of the event and that he was concerned in resolving it.

He stated: “That is the primary time we’re having such a state of affairs in Apapa however we thank God that all the things has been resolved. The complainant himself has apologised. There is no such thing as a manner the tongue and the mouth wouldn’t struggle however they need to settle.

“There was no want for the pointless allegations to implicate his colleagues. As a individuals there should be dispute however as a frontrunner and disaster supervisor we should discover a strategy to settle it, which now we have completed”.

No to cost – Govt

Talking in a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Lawal, a deputy director of press on the state’s ministry of training, stated BECE is free for all the scholars of state-owned faculties.

He, nonetheless, famous that non-public faculties that register candidates for the examinations are anticipated to pay. However he didn’t point out the quantity the state expenses the personal candidates.

“Sure, I can affirm to you that BECE is free for our college students. That isn’t new,” Mr Lawal stated.

Additionally, in 2019, in a clarification made by the then everlasting secretary on the ministry, Adebunmi Adekanye, the federal government stated no state-owned school candidate should pay for both BECE or the West African Senior Faculty Certificates Examination (WASSCE).

Mrs Adekanye, now retired, within the report posted on the state’s official web site, warned public officers to desist from extorting cash from dad and mom below numerous guises together with requesting cost for sensible examinations.

She had threatened that anybody caught will face the results of their motion.

“The gesture is to alleviate dad and mom of the burden of such charges in addition to create equal alternatives for all certified college students to evaluate the examinations and show their mettle, no matter the circumstances of their delivery or the monetary place of their dad and mom,” Mrs Adekanye stated.

About BECE

BECE is the primary examination that qualifies college students in public junior secondary faculties in Lagos State for admission into senior secondary faculties.

The examination is written after three years of junior secondary college training.

For 2022, the examination began on 8 June and ended on 15 June.