By Anayo Okoli

Umuahia—ABIA State Government has defended its recent introduction of fees in primary and secondary schools in the state, which it called development levy.

Critics of the of the new policy had interpreted it to mean the re-introduction of school fees by the government, while it is on the other hand, claiming that it was providing  free education for the children of the state.

But the government has replied the critics, saying that it had not abolished its free education programme. The recent introduction of development fees, it said was an action taken to abolish illegal levies  imposed on students and pupils, which it said was a good relief to parents.

According to the government, those criticizing the introduction of development levies were doing so for political reasons, even as it insisted that its action was in the best interest of the state and its citizens.

According to Governor Theodore Orji’s Special Adviser on Print Media, Mr. Joshua Ogbonna, “for the avoidance of doubt, the Ochendo government has not abolished free education in her educational institutions, especially in her primary and secondary schools”.

“In Abia State, what the government did was to harmonize illegal levies in our schools by abolishing all such levies, leaving infrastructural development levy for the provision of infrastructure in our primary and secondary schools, while tuition fees still remain free”.

“Apart from the infrastructural levy, no other fee is to be paid, including school fees. It should be noted that before now, some of these school charged illegal fees which students and pupils were forced to pay or be sent home till they were able to comply”.

“Some of the levies charged include PTA,  which ranged from N3000 to N5000 per year, exam fees, which ranged from N500 to N1000 per exam period.

Hand-work, between N50 to N100 per student per week and in the alternative, students were asked to purchase such items as toilet tissues, toilet soaps, detergents and disinfectants”, he said.