Parents Of FGGC Owerri Cry Out Over The Many Alleged Rot Carried By The PTA Excos, School Mgt, As Well As Payment Of Unreceipted Levies By Students

…….“Is FGGC Owerri now PTA-owned?-Parents Asked

…….PTA is now discharging the duties of the FG, says Parents

……We demand Transparency in all PTA Finances-Parents

It has become a heavy cry for parents of students at the Federal Government Girls College, Owerri, in Imo State, over what they described as alleged systemic corruption and alleged layering at the Unity College.

The parents who expressed deep concern over what they described as an alarming pattern of arbitrary and unreceipted levies allegedly imposed by the school management and the Parents and Teachers Association, PTA.

According to the Parents who spoke to Universal Reporters, they told this medium that a lot of systemic corruption is going on in the school, and as such, the Parents and Teachers Association Chairman, Dr. Jerry Chinedu Nwoko is being used as a lackey to carry out these wrongdoings in the school, thereby subjecting them to more expenses.

The parents who highlighted a myriad of cases that made them call out the PTA chairman said the straw that broke the Carmel’s back is the issue of the additional ₦1,000 fee allegedly collected without receipts or official approval.

Speaking, the Parents said the school has it has before now paid ₦5,000, and from that it was increased to ₦7,000, and further increased to ₦10,000  as PTA levy; however, at the moment, they are now being charged ₦12,000 per term as PTA levy.

Lamenting bitterly, the parents said that the PTA and the school management, led by the school Principal, Mrs. Francisca C. Obiagwu, brought out a circular that emanated from the Federal Ministry of Education which they claimed justifies their charging of the current PTA levy of N12, 000, even though according to the parents, the letter never said the PTA levy payment by students of Unity Colleges should exceed N12,000 or hidden charges to be paid by them, but according to the letter seen by this medium, the PTA levy shouldn’t exceed N12,000, the parents wonders why they should be paying N12,000 as PTA levy and there is no accountability what the money paid is being used for.

Beyond this increment of the payment of N12,000 as PTA levy, the parents are protesting an additional ₦1,000 fee allegedly collected without receipts or official approval.

In a protest letter circulated by concerned parents, they lamented the lack of transparency in fee administration, citing assumptions in student population figures, unclear budgeting processes, and what they described as “suffering and smiling” among parents who feel compelled to comply.

They warned that the continuous imposition of levies is placing immense financial pressure on many families, with some parents reportedly experiencing health complications due to the stress of providing their children with basic education.

The parents urged unity and collective action, insisting that the PTA Executive must be reminded that they were elected to serve parents, not exploit them.

They also criticized the complacency of parents in Imo State compared to others in federal unity schools who consistently demand transparency and fairness.

Parents further alleged that systemic corruption, intimidation, and abuse of office are thriving within the school’s administration, allegedly involving the Principal, Mrs. Francisca C. Obiagwu, and the PTA Chairman, Dr. Jerry Chinedu Nwoko.

Enumerating what it termed as a series of alleged systemic corruption allegedly going on in the school, parents stated that since the coming of the PTA chairman into office about four months ago, a lot of things are being done by the school management in collaboration with the PTA Chairman and its executives.

First thing on the front burner, as alleged by the parents, is the issue of number of Government paid teachers and number of PTA paid teachers, according to them, they said the school management and the PTA has refused to make available the number of PTA teachers as well number of Government paid teachers, which they said refusal to do that shows discrepancies and as such it doesn’t augur well.

“How can you say, you as the PTA hired teachers to help the school due to lack of shortage of teachers in the school, meanwhile we don’t know the teachers you hired, we don’t know the subjects that they were hired to teach, we don’t know they number of teachers lacking in the school according to, we don’t know how much they are being paid, you didn’t show us approval by the school management that warrants the hiring, there were no prior meeting by the PTA members to give go ahead for this, is the FG who are the owners of this school of these development, if they are aware, did they approve these, these and more are what they parents are asking for,” the Parents stated.

Another issue being complained about by the parents is the case of painting the school building. According to them, the PTA has stated that it painted the school, but the parents are asking when it became the role of the parents to paint the school building. They asked if there were approval from the Federal Government to paint the school building, why will the PTA chairman and its executives and the management of the school to embark on such projects using the money from the purse of the PTA without approval by the parents even when it is not the duty of the parents to do so, in fact the parents hinted that as it is no one knows how much was expended in the project and they were not even carried along, they are seeing it as an avenue to siphon the PTA funds being contributed by the parents.

Some of them who spoke to this medium said, “When has it become their role as parents to paint the school of a federal government owned, did they PTA and school management get approval from the FG to use the PTA money for such a project? How much was expended on such and so on? ” The Parents asked in anger.

Lamenting further, the parents said that was how the PTA said they used money from the PTA purse for the fumigation of the school due to reports of bed bug infestation in the school.

Speaking some of the parents said; “You said there is bed bugs in school, no committee report findings, you just dipped hand into the purse and removed money and said you used it to fumigate the school or the hostels against bed bugs, you didn’t show us any report and how much it was going to undertake, no Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA concerning the fumigation, we don’t even know if there approval by the FG since the owner of the school to use the PTA money to fight bed bugs infestation in the school, we asked is the school now PTA owned or FG owned?”

According to them, if the PTA is being made to do all these things, then what is the Government that owns the school doing?

Not done with their expression of grievance of such alleged sleaze going on within school between the PTA and the management of the school, they said in another scenario, at the beginning of this session, all new JSS 1 intake was made to pay N20, 000 each by the school for chairs and desks, and surprising that they have been receiving complaints from their children and wards that when there are even or programmes going on, that the students are made to squats with each other to enable the teachers and others have place to sit, an issue which parents are frowning at, asking what happens to the monies paid and even at that, before this new intake contribution for purchase of chairs, does it mean there were no chairs in the school, where are the old chairs.

Other issues raised by the parents include the alleged collection of N1, 500 to N2, 500 at the school gate for Spanish, German and French learning; also the parents hinted that the school stated that the N1000 levy paid now is for the cleaning of toilets, but no one knows how much the Janitors are being paid, how many toilets are they meant to clean, how many are the number of Janitors the PTA so called said they engaged.

“Is FGGC Owerri now PTA-owned? PTA are no discharging the duties of the Federal Government. Parents must demand Transparency in all PTA Finances. There should be strict adherence to only government-approved levies,” the parents stated.”

They therefore called on the Federal Ministry of Education, the Presidency, and relevant agencies to urgently investigate the matter.

Efforts by this medium to reach the Principal proved unsuccessful. The PTA Chairman later responded, explaining that he is not authorised to speak to the media on behalf of the school and that issues regarding alleged misconduct fall strictly under the management’s authority.

Concerned parents also provided financial estimates, suggesting that with an estimated population of 3,000 students, the PTA could be generating about ₦36,000,000 per term and an estimated ₦108,000,000 annually.

They insist that such huge funds warrant accountability, transparency, and public scrutiny.

In addition to the levy controversy, a parent alleged several irregular practices under the current PTA and school management.

These include the compulsory purchase of chairs by students, an unclear staffing structure within the PTA, and PTA involvement in activities that ordinarily fall under the school’s management.

Some parents reportedly fear speaking out to avoid possible victimization of their daughters.

Another parent, expressing frustration, insisted that the newly introduced ₦1,000 unreceipted fee is illegal and unacceptable.

She emphasised that parents are not opposing the ₦12,000 levy but demanding accountability for additional charges imposed without due process.

More parents have continued to react, calling for publicity and declaring, “Enough is enough!”