Date: 2016-12-13

The Kwara State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Engr. Musa Ayinla Yeketi has debunked allegation of financial inducement by some school proprietors to inspection officers from the ministry.

According to reports, officials of the ministry while on inspection to some schools make outrageous demands, requesting to be served sumptuous meals and substantial amount of money as bribe to get approval from the ministry.

A private school proprietor in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital who pleaded anonymity informed this medium that he had to pay as much as N100,000 as kick-back to officials of the Ministry of Education to get approval for his school. According to him, "For the three days that those inspectors visited my school, they made outrageous demands including asking to be served pounded yam, jollof rice and two meats per meal.

They also demanded to be paid the sum of N100, 000 before their departure. I had to borrow money from cooperative to offset the bill otherwise, there will be no approval for my school," he disclosed.

Another proprietor also informed our reporter that he made similar payment to officials of the ministry to get approval for his school a few months ago. Reacting to the allegation in an interview with our reporter on Thursday, Yeketi denied the allegation and challenged any private school proprietor in the state with such claim to report at his office.

"I am hearing that for the first time and for the avoidance of doubt, if there is any of such case the proprietor should come to the Commissioner straight away. There's specified amount to be paid into government account and there are no extra charges.

"Any extra charge, may have been as a result of some proprietors trying to cut corners, which is illegal, he stressed. Meanwhile, Yeketi has restated commitment of the state government to flush out unqualified teachers from the education sector.

He said, "Our findings show that 70 per cent of the people in the teaching profession are just working with statement of results to the extent that somebody rose to the level of Deputy Director, level 16. I wonder how they got those promotions and this we intend to stop in our education sector.

"Those working with statement of result are those who take the profession as alternative choice and once they have opportunity elsewhere, they will just opt out, that is why most teachers don't take teaching seriously", he disclosed. He added that to ensure commitment and qualification of teachers, the ministry will consistently visit various schools.

"The screening we are doing by visiting schools has to do with raising the standard of education in the state. If you don't have teaching certificate, what is your business in the teaching line?

"The National Council on Education has made it mandatory that anybody in the teaching line should have certificate and those without education qualification to teach have been given between now and 2017 to provide their certificates."