Extortion: Niger Demotes, Suspends School Principal

Laleye Dipo in Minna

The Principal of Government Day Secondary School, Saminaka, in Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State, Mr. Ndatsu Yahaya, has been demoted over alleged extortion of his students.

In addition, Yahaya has been suspended and posted to another school where he would be a classroom teacher.

He was alleged to have extorted several thousands of Naira from Senior Secondary School’s students on the pretext that the money was for their registration fees for the ongoing West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE).

However, after collecting the fees from the students, Yahaya was reported to have failed to remit the money collected to the West African Examination Council (WAEC), which resulted in the not less than 50 students failing to take their certificate examinations.

The Niger State’s Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Hannatu Jibrin Salihu, who meted the punitive actions on the former principal described his acts as “wicked and a betrayal of trust.”

Speaking through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Mr. Abdullahi Usman Imam, at a meeting with officials of the schools’ Parents Teachers Association (PTA), the commissioner expressed dismay at the attitude of the principal and ordered for his immediate suspension and transfer to another school as a classroom teacher.

She also said that a new principal would be posted to the school immediately.

“This ministry will not condone such ‘ungodly’ attitude from any principal” she declared before directing that the principal should from now be placed on half salary until he liquidated the money collected from the students.

Members of the institution’s PTA had appealed to the ministry to intervene in the matter because the money collected was not remitted to WAEC for the examination.

They lamented that their children could not write the 2023 internal examination due to non-remittance of the funds to WAEC after the principal had collected the money from their wards.

The PTA said that they became aware that their children were scammed by the principal when the examination had started.

Kwara North Group Demands Full Ministerial Slot from Tinubu

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

A non-governmental organisation in Kwara State, the Coalition of Kwara North Groups (CKNG) has demanded for a full ministerial position for the Kwara-north in the forthcoming Federal Executive Council (FEC) of the President-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The group, however, said that the people from the Kwara-north have competent, technocrats and well-articulated personalities that could add values to the socio economic and political development of the country.

Speaking at a news conference in Ilorin, the CKNG said that the zone produced the second largest number of votes of about 34 per cent that won the reelection of Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq during the 2023 general elections in the state.

It said: “There was and there is nothing that the Kwara-central and Kwara-south senatorial districts have contributed to electoral victories for the All Progressive Congress (APC) from 2019, and the 2023 recently concluded elections that has not or never been contributed by Kwara-north, in real terms far better, and greater than the other two zones.

“Sadly, Kwara-north has nothing to show when compared with the other two senatorial districts for all its sacrifices, selflessness and loyalty to APC not just as a party, but also for the growth, progress, development and peaceful co-existence of Kwara State.

“What CKNG is demanding for is ‘do to others as you would want done unto you’ for the positive growth, progress, development and peaceful co-existence of all Kwarans and Kwara State.”

The group added that “with the uncommon and huge sacrifices made in 2019 by Kwara northerners, where-in the area supplied the second largest votes approximately 32 per cent (31.84 per cent) that ushered-in the APC government in 2019, the senatorial district has got nothing significant to show for it in terms of appointments, especially at the federal levels.

“This is in contrast to the other two senatorial districts; central and south respectively. While the central supplied the highest votes of about 39 per cent in 2019, south provided the least of around 29 per cent. Notwithstanding these figures, the two districts got handsomely rewarded with ministerial appointments vis-viz of Mr. Lai Mohammed and Senator Gbemisola Ruqayyat Saraki respectively.

“Yet, having been denied the governorship seat in 2019 despite the moral and constitutional provisions of every component of each state in Nigeria to be treated equally, Kwara northerners swallowed the injustice all for the positive growth, progress, development and peaceful co-existence of all Kwarans.

“Again in 2023, notwithstanding the fact that the area had an opportunity to produce a governor from an alternative formidable political party, but the people massively voted for APC at both national and state elections.

“The 2023 governorship election’s result of Kwara as released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed that of the 273,424 votes cast for APC, Kwara-north was consistent; again producing the second largest votes of about 34 per cent that won the reelection of Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq.

“The very least the Kwara northerners are asking for is simple: come May 29, a Kwara northerner should be a full minister in the cabinet.”