The raging cold war between the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, came to the limelight again on Tuesday as the two ministers bickered over the recent hike in the fees of Unity Colleges.

Adamu accused Anwukah of unilaterally increasing the fees of Federal Government Colleges (Unity Schools) – in addition to several other alleged infractions.

Indeed, Adamu and Anwukah have not seen eye-to-eye since the appointment of the heads of 17 agencies in the Federal Ministry of Education.

In a chat with journalists in Abuja on the sidelines of the National Education Quality Assurance Handbook’s launch, Adamu said the news of the increment of fees from N20,000 to N75,000 was strange to him.

He said: “I am not aware that the Unity Schools’ fees have been increased. As the Minister of Education I am not aware but I will try and find out.”

Responding to the alleged feud between him and Anwukah over the recent appointment of the new heads of 17 agencies in the ministry, in which the Minister of State was allegedly sidelined, Adamu feigned ignorance of the development.

However, he admitted to have mistakenly failed to acknowledge the presence of Anwukah’s representative during the launch of the handbooks yesterday.

“I am not also aware that he has been sidelined but you can go and find out from the source that told you,” Adamu stated.

Speaking on the Unity Schools’ fees, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, admitted that the Federal Government had hiked the fees.

She said that the increment, which was focused on boarding fees, was to cover the cost of running the schools.

Yemi-Esan said: “The school fees of the Federal Government Colleges have been increased but not up to the 300 percent as being claimed. You must be aware of the reality in the country.

“It is important for the Federal Government Colleges to maintain the students that are there and you must also be aware that these schools are tuition-free. What has been increased is the boarding fees but is not up to N75,000,” she added.

But she denied knowledge of any feud between the two education ministers.

Prof. Anwukah has been shunning events that attract the presence of Adamu, which a source blamed on the way he was sidelined on the recommendation to President Muhammadu Buhari on the appointment of heads of the education agencies.

Apparently to show his grievances, Anwukah allegedly shunned the inauguration of the new chief executives. He was also absent during the flag-off of the 2016 Teachers’ Professional Development in Abuja last week. (AU)

•Source: The AUTHORITY. Photo shows Malam Adamu Adamu.

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