Parents Drag Principal to Court over Alleged Non-Compliance with TSA  in Lagos

Wale Igbintade

The Principal, Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos, Esther Tofunmi Akamo and three others have been dragged before a Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged exploitation and non-compliance with the federal government’s directive on Treasury Single Account (TSA).

The suits were instituted by two parents of the College, Oladapo Oladotun Afolarin and Oke Anjorin Bennet.

The Parents, in their separate suits marked FHC/L/CS/25/2023, and FHC/L/CS/2375/22 are seeking  an order compelling the first defendant to account for all cash collections made in respect to the placement of students in SS1 in the College.

Others listed as co-defendants are: the Minister for Education,  Attorney-General of the Federation, (AGF) and Federal Ministry of Education, as second to fourth defendants.

The two parents in their originating summons filed before the court by their lawyer, Pius Sodje, asked the court for “a declaration that the Federal Government College ljanikin Lagos is a Federal Institution which is bound to comply with the Federal Government’s Policy of Treasure Single Account and the payment of all fees through the approved channel of Remitta.

“A declaration that the first, second and fourth defendants cannot collect any fees in Federal Government College Ijanikin by cash or through any other account except the approved Treasury Single Account.

“A declaration that the compulsory cash collection of School Uniform fee from the them by the first defendant is contrary to and in conflict with the federal government’s policy of Treasury Single Account and as such it is illegal.

“An order compelling the first defendant to disclose where the cash collection was paid to and account for all cash collections made with respect to the placement of students in SS1 in Federal Government College Ijanikin as well as other cash payments received.

“An order directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to conduct an investigation into the whereabout of the cash collected from the Plaintiff and other parents whose wards were placed in SS1 in Federal Government College ljanikin for the 2022/2023 academic session.

The two parents in separate affidavits attached with the originating summons averred that they have been parents in the said school for about four years and has paid fees to the school through the Federal Government approved payment channel which is Remita pursuant to the Federal Government policy on Treasury Single Account (TSA)

The two parents stated that sometime in September 2022, when the school resumed, their sons were to resume in SS1 and they were given the list of fees to be paid and they made payment through the Remita platform to the Federal Government designated account.

They stated further that they proceeded with their sons to the school on September 9, 2022, to resume and on getting to the school they were requested by the School to make further payment of fees broken down as follows: School uniform N20,000; Blazer N6,500; and Cardigan N4,500.

They also stated that they informed the teacher that they wanted to make the payment like all other payments through Remita but she insisted that they must either pay cash or make a direct transfer to a private individual’s bank account with the details Dayo Shittu, Polaris account number 1013428093, and that without the payment their sons would not be allowed into the school, and they would not be placed in SS1.

The parents stated that they requested to know why the payment should be in cash and the explanation they got was that ‘it is a recent instruction from the first and second defendants and that the money would be paid through Remita and receipt given on or before the end of the term when all payments by parents have been made.

Faced with this predicament and in order not to distort their sons’ education, they made the cash payment to Shittu Dayo, the teacher designated to collect the money and was issued a clearance before their sons were placed in SSS1.

They averred that after making the payment they have been requesting for the remitta receipt and it has been one promise or the other but they were assured that the receipt would be issued before the end of the first term. However, they stated that when the first term ended on December 13, 2022 and a new term commenced on January 9, 2023, it was at the commencement of this new term that it became obvious that the money collected from them by Shittu Dayo on behalf of the first and second defendants, were not paid into the TSA.

They claimed that as a fact, the federal government’s policy on TSA is that payment to all federal government institution must be through the approved channel which is Remita.

None of the defendants have file any response to the suit.

The two suits have been assigned to Justice Yelim Bogoro, and Justice Nicholas Oweibo respectively.