By Ugochukwu Alaribe

UMUAHIA- Executive Director of the National Institute for Nigerian Languages, NINLAN,Aba, Abia State, Prof. Ogbonna onuoha, has said that he has improved the NINLAN Demonstration Nursery / Primary and Secondary Schools,Aba, from the situation he met on ground when he assumed office,10 months ago.

He disclosed that the Demonstration schools have been given a facelift with renovated classrooms and hostels and teaching facilities ,while boarding Students now feed better with improved meals.

Ogbonna stated this in an interview with Vanguard while reacting to allegations of imposition of fees on the students by the Parents Teachers Association of NINLAN.

He accused the chairman of the PTA,Dr. Chidi Emenike of trying to unionize the association with some of the members, alleging that majority of others are not supporting him.

The PTA of the school had alleged that the NINLAN Demonstration Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools are owned and funded by the federal government, stressing that the management of the schools should not introduce levies.

However,Ogbonna disclosed that NINLAN is owned by the federal government while the NINLAN Demonstration schools is not a unity school,but owned by NINLAN for the children of its staff and others.

On the alleged imposition of levies, the Executive Director explained that the NINLAN management met with the members of the PTA before the adjustment in levies payable by the pupils and students.

Onuoha added that the increase in some of levies was due to the level of dilapidation in facilities and buildings in the school.

He further explained that it is not the duty of the PTA to fix levies payable by the pupils and students of the schools , insisting that it is not obtained anywhere.

He said; “NINLAN Demonstration Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools are not unity schools. What is the federal institution is NINLAN where I head as the Executive Director. NINLAN is a federal tertiary institution in the mould of a university. The federal government funds NINLAN 100%. But NINLAN as a father gave birth to NINLAN Demonstration schools. Those seeing NINLAN Demonstration schools as unity schools are ignorant. We increased fees because there were lots of dilapidation in the schools. Our school now wears a new look.

“We consulted the PTA before we made slight increase in the fees.They said the increase is 200% ,but it is not true. They agreed on the increase and even asked us to make it affordable. But their role does not include negotiating payment with management to fix fees.The problem is that the chairman of the PTA is trying to unionize the body. Tuition fees for primary school was 35,000,but we reduced it to 30,000 because of their appeal. The tuition for secondary School was fixed at 75,000,but we discounted 10,000, because of them. Caution fee is N10,000 and 20,000, for primary and secondary schools, respectively, and is only paid once , contrary to the allegation by PTA that we collect it every session. Caution fee is refundable.

” We increased hostel fees but it is far from what sister schools charge. This is to enable the students to feed well. Students also pay medical and other levies,we have deployed these levies; medical,ICT,exams,etc , to give NINLAN schools a facelift. I have improved the schools from what I met on assumption. They ought to sought clarification instead of writing frivolous petitions and making partisan allegations against the schools.

“NINLAN parades the best teachers and we are among the first 500 schools in the country,we do not give room for malpractice. They know what we have in terms of quality,but they don’t want to pay for it. They think that the federal government will come to bear our burden,but it’s not the case. If the schools belong to the federal government,we would have taken all the burdens to them,but NINLAN schools are not owed by the government.”