The Ebonyi Government says it will reimburse the N1,000 paid by each student for the aborted 2015/2016 unified promotion examination.
Prof. John Eke, the Commissioner for Education, gave the assurance on Thursday in Abakaliki in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to him, the state government has concluded arrangement to begin immediate reimbursement of the money to all the pupils and students that paid the money.
Eke explained that the delay in reimbursement was to ensure that proper modality was worked out so that no one who paid would be left out.
He said that government cancelled the proposed unified promotion examination for pupils and students in public and private schools in the 2015/2016 third term examination when it discovered that school authorities imposed additional illegal fees.
“Let me begin by apologising to parents and guardians over the delay in the reimbursement of the fee to their children and wards and to appreciate their long patience.
“We are trying to ensure that we put in place all the necessary arrangements for a hitch free refund, so that no one who paid will be left out in the reimbursement exercise.
“The good news is that all the money collected from the school children, including the N,1000 approved by government and the additional illegal fees have been recovered and kept in government coffers.
“I want to appeal to parents and guardians for more understanding as we will soon give back these monies to their owners,’’ Eke said.
He said that ban on the collection of illegal levies in both private and public schools in the state was still in force and warned that the state government would deal with anyone contravening the ban.
“We are committed to the free and compulsory universal basic education, hence, no school or head teacher found imposing or collecting any levy not approved by government, will go unpunished.
“The Governor, Chief Dave Umahi has been regular in the payment of the Ebonyi counterpart fund with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), hence we access our funds and use them to develop infrastructure and capacity of personnel,’’ he added.
Eke explained that the campaign against examination malpractice, establishment of exam ‘magic’ Centers and truancy by teachers were yielding desired result. (NAN)