The Principals of Federal Government Colleges, as well as Federal Science, and Technical Colleges across the country have pleaded with the Minister in charge of Ministry of Education to prevent what they described as harassment by anti –graft agencies.
They decried the constant harassment by Operatives of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission being carried out against under the guise of investigating corruption practices in their schools.
Lami Amodu, national chairperson of FGCs, and FSTCs, made this call in her address delivered at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Principals which opens in the commercial city of Kano, cited the harassment as one of the major challenges confronting them.
Lami, who is also the chairperson of the South –South Zone of the Association of Principals holding the meeting particularly request for the support of the Minister of Education in this regard.
In the same vein, she wanted the Minister to help address the issue of late releases of budgetary allocation meant for execution and maintaince of the schools by the Ministry, which according to her was impacting negatively on the operations of the Schools.
In what seems as a responses to the issue of the alleged harassment of the Principals, the Minister of State, in charge of Education, Anthony G. Anwukah, attributed the perceived harassment to the need to address financial indiscipline among of the Principals.
Anwukah, who was represented at the occasion by Lawan Koko, director of human capital department at the ministry described the growing forms of indiscipline, particularly, incidences related to corruption among the Principals as worrisome.
He also called on the Principals to make judicious use of the funds made available to them for the purpose of running of their schools in the face of the mounting scarcity of funds from government.
“You must take note of the Zero Policy of the present Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari against Corruption by ensuring that you shun all forms of corrupt practice among you.
“I am glad to commend some of you for the brilliant performances recorded in the last public examinations, and to assure you that the Ministry will continue to support in all ways possible.
“While, we acknowledged the supportive role which the Parent Teachers Association in the development of the schools, I will like to state that government will scale up it support to the schools” he added.
Ankwukah described the theme of the AGM entitled ‘ Human Capital Development: A Veritable Tool For Academic Excellence in Federal Government Colleges as timely at this material time as the present administration is doing everything possible boost the capacity of teachers across the country
