School Owners Cry Out Over Huge Taxation, Harassment In Anambra
Willie Obiano
Association of Community Based School Owners of Nigeria (ACOBSON) has appealed to Anambra State Government to save private schools from high taxation.
State Coordinator Lady Chukwuani Ogochukwu, who made the appeal at the inauguration of the Anambra State chapter of the group in Nkwelle Ezunnaka, Oyi Council Area, decried incessant harassment by ‘faceless’ agents who frequently invaded school premises to demand for levies.
She also bemoaned what she termed stagnation in the educational sector, accusing governments and political leaders of not carrying along stakeholders, including private school owners, teachers, parents and pupils in educational policy formation.
She said, “We are ready to work, to salvage the educational system and reposition the sector especially in Anambra state. Our target is to mobilize over 1,000 school owners, 5000 teachers and 10,000 parents to achieve results and advance education to the next level in Anambra.
“We have put in place proactive mandate for better and level playing ground for teaching and learning for the children. We assure aggressive training and retraining of members as well as teachers on the collaboration of 21st century standard of schools and responsibilities.”
National chairman, ACOBSON, Mr. Tony Ebiziem, lamented the woes in the education sector, regretting the lack of seriousness of government and other concerned authorities attached to education.
He said, “There is no adequate planning, infrastructure is lacking in schools and colleges, teachers are owed several months salaries in many states.
“There is no state where private school proprietors are not having issues with government over high taxation.”
Describing education as seed children would reap tomorrow, Ebiziem charged proprietors, teachers and parents to join in nurturing the seed aimed at tackling the challenges in education sector.
