Justice C.C Ani of Udenu Judicial Division of Enugu State High Court has barred the state Ministry of Education from imposing, demanding or collecting fees for basic education examinations in the state.
Justice Ani gave the order while ruling on the motion for interlocutory injunction sort by the Enugu State Proprietors Association of Private Schools.
The plaintiff, through its counsel, Mr J.M. Ogbuka, dragged the state government and the Ministry of Education to court in suit No: 0B/22/2022, challenging the legality of the collection of the fees – “Common Entrance Examination, First School Leaving Certificate Examination, State Uniform Examinations and the Basic Education Certificate Examination.”
Ogbuka argued that imposition, demand and extortion of various sums of money from basic education class pupils in the state for any of the mentioned examinations is not only unauthorised by any law in the state and therefore illegal, but also contrary to the provisions of the Compulsory Free Basic Education Act 2004 as well as the Child Rights Acts 2003 which are extant laws made by the National Assembly.
Justice Ani, ruling on the interlocutory injunction, ordered the state to cease from further imposition, demand, collection by force or extortion of various sums of money from primary 1 to JSS 3 classes in all public and private schools in the state pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Reacting to the order of the court, President of PAPS, Dr Ejiofor Godwin, described the order as justice for parents and school proprietors who are unjustly forced to part with their hard-earned money.
