.jpeg)
As a result of their alleged involvement in corruption and non-compliance with the Federal Government (FG) directive for payment of all monies into a Treasury Single Account (TSA), two separate suits have been instituted against the Principal of Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos, Esther Tofunmi Akamo and three others.
The suits were initiated by two parents of the students of the school, Oladapo Oladotun Afolarin and Oke Anjorin Bennet.
Others listed as the Principal's co-defendants are the Minister For Education; the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Federal Ministry of Education, as second to fourth defendants.
While Oladapo's suit is marked FHC/L/CS/25/2023, Oke's suit is numbered FHC/L/CS/2375/22.
The parents in their originating summons filed before the court by their lawyer, Pius Sodje, asked the court for the following reliefs: “A declaration that the Federal Government College, ljanikin, Lagos is a Federal Institution which is bound to comply with the Federal Government's Policy of Treasury Single Account and the payment of all fees through the approved channel of Remita.
“A declaration that the first, second, and fourth defendants cannot collect any fees in Federal Government College, Ijanikin, by cash or through any other account except the approved Treasury Single Account.
“A declaration that the compulsory cash collection of School Uniform fee from them by the first defendant is contrary to and in conflict with the Federal Government's Policy of Treasury Single Account and as such, it is illegal.
“An order compelling the first defendant to disclose where the cash collection was paid to and account for all cash collections made with respect to the placement of students in SS1 in Federal Government College, Ijanikin, as well as other cash payments received.
“An order directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to conduct an investigation into the whereabouts of the cash collected from the Plaintiff and other parents whose wards were placed in SS1 in Federal Government College, ljanikin, for the 2022/2023 academic session.”
In separate affidavits attached with the originating summons, the parents averred that they have been parents in the said school for a period spanning about four years and have paid fees to the school through the Federal Government approved payment channel which is Remita, pursuant to the Federal Government's policy on TSA.
They stated that sometime in September 2022, when school resumed, their sons were to resume SS1, and they were given the list of fees to be paid, and they made payment through the Remita platform to the FG-designated account.
The parents further argued that they proceeded with their sons to the school on September 9, 2022, to resume, and on getting to the school, they were requested by the school to make a further payment of fees broken down as follows: School uniform N20,000; Blazer N6,500; and Cardigan N4,500.
They also stated that they informed the teacher that they wanted to make the payment like all other payments through Remita, but she insisted that they must either pay cash or make a direct transfer to a private individual’s bank account with the details Dayo Shittu, Polaris account number 1013428093 and that without the payment their sons would not be allowed into the school, and they would not be placed in SS1.
The parents stated that they requested to know why the payment should be in cash and the explanation they got was that 'it is a recent instruction from the first and second defendants and that the money would be paid through Remita and receipt given on or before the end of the term when all payments by parents have been made.
Faced with this predicament and in order not to distort their sons' education, they made the cash payment to Shittu Dayo, the teacher designated to collect the money, and was issued a clearance before my son was placed in SSS1.
The parents averred that after making the payment, they have been requesting the remita receipt, and it has been one promise or the other, but they were assured that the receipt would be issued before the end of the first term.
However, they stated that when the first term ended on December 13, 2022, and a new term commenced on January 9, 2023, it was at the commencement of this new term that it became obvious that the money collected from them by Shittu Dayo on behalf of the first and second defendants, were not paid into the Treasury Single Account.
They claimed that as a fact, the FG's policy on TSA is that payment to all FG institutions must be through the approved channel which is Remita, and that it will be in the interest of justice to grant this application as the Defendants would not be prejudiced.
As at the time of filing this report, the response of the Defendants could not be sited by our correspondent.
While Bennet's suit marked FHC/L/CS/2375/2022, has been assigned to Justice Yelim Bogoro, and the hearing has been fixed for February 17, Afolarin's suit marked FHC/L/CS/25/2023, is before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, and it has been fixed for February 10, for hearing.
All rights reserved. This material and other digital volumes on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from THE NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK.
For advert placement, please contact thenewsacceleratornetwork@gmail.com or 08033599492.
إرسال تعليق