Kogi Government May Soon Close Down 449 Illegal Schools

The Kogi Government may soon close down 449 illegal private primary and secondary schools operating in the state, Mrs Grace Elebiyo, the state’s Commissioner for Education, said on Tuesday.

Elebiyo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja that steps were being taken to close down all illegal private schools in the state.

She said the state government had received the report of the task force constituted on illegal schools, saying “government will soon clamp down on 449 unregistered private schools operating in the state’’.

The commissioner said it was amazing to discover that some proprietors were operating schools in their living rooms and some in uncompleted or dilapidated buildings.

“Such a scenario is against the laid-down rules of establishing a good school in the state,’’ Elebiyo said.

She also expressed displeasure at reports about some proprietors who had turned their schools to “dens of examination malpractices’’ or “miracle centres’’.

The commissioner warned that the state government would not hesitate to close down any school registering external candidates with the intention to cheat during the WAEC/SSCE examinations.

Elebiyo said the state government was committed to improving the standard of education, saying “government will not tolerate people establishing schools for the purpose of exploiting helpless citizens’’.

The commissioner urged citizens of the state to take their children to registered schools which have good and conducive academic environment.(NAN)