No fewer than 12 secondary school principals have been sacked, six suspended, and 16 transferred for extorting money from unsuspecting students in Calabar the Cross River State Capital.
The State Commissioner for Education, Godwin Amanke confirmed the unfortunate development in a chat with newsmen in Calabar, South South region of Nigeria.
Truth Live News gathered that those affected were caught in the act of perfecting schemes by which several sums of money were collected from unsuspecting students.
Amanke informed Journalists that the transferred of 16 secondary school teachers and principals to rural areas is a punitive measure against extorters who impose dubious charges on students.
A report quoting Amanke as saying “Tuition fee in the state is free but some Cross River teachers and principals connived alarmingly inflate other charges, which is not acceptable at all.”
He also disclosed that the ministry have given several queries to others involved in illegal charges, such as giving of bribes and taking of bribes to be posted to schools in the city.
“These principals collect a hefty sum of N40,000 from each student as against N1,200”.
They collected fees for three terms upfront, claiming that many students do abandon their schools after taking WAEC exams.
Although, as at the time of filing this report, the names of the culprits were not made public, but the Commissioner is monitoring defaulting teachers and principals, saying he won’t hesitate to wield the big stick.”