Nigeria Parents Forum (NPF) has expressed shock over the alleged refusal of the Federal Ministry of Education and Principals of Unity Schools in the country to obey the directives of President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to reduce student fees across the country.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Principals of Unity Colleges across the country had increased school fees of students in Unity Schools by 100 per cent which would be effective from September.

Investigation shows that the fees were increased by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Principals from N30,000 to N80,000 and N100,000.

The development saw public outcry from parents and guardians of students of the schools who demanded a reverse to the old fees following the current economic difficulties being encountered by Nigerians over the Federal Government petroleum subsidy policy.

The National Assembly and President Tinubu waded into the fees hike and directed that Unity Schools in the country should reverse the old fees.

The motion urging the Federal Ministry of Education and Principals of Unity Schools in the country to reverse the fees hike was moved by the member representing Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo federal constituency, Hon. Nkemkanma Kama.

But the Nigeria Parents Forum has observed that the Federal Ministry of Education and Principals of Unity Schools have refused to obey the directives of the President and National Assembly.

In a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Nigerian Parents Forum, Engr. Lukman Saluhdeen on Sunday, revealed that the Federal Ministry of Education and principals of Unity Schools through newsletters issued to students who vacated on 4th August, 2023 are still demanding the high school fees in defiance of the directive for reversal announced by the presidential spokesman, Dele Alake on Monday, July 31st.

He said “Nigerian Parents Forum wants President Bola Tinubu to call the Federal Ministry of Education to order and ensure immediate compliance with the presidential order as failure to do that with amount to creating precedents for bureaucratic anarchy.

“The Federal Ministry of Education cannot be allowed to operate above both the presidency and the National Assembly.

“We equally ask President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to work out special economic palliatives for Nigerian parents who are not civil servants to enable them to sponsor fund their children’s education and halt the impending massive school dropout arising from the recent withdrawal of fuel subsidy”.

(New Telegraph)