By Okey Alozie
The officials of secondary Education management Board and Principals of Schools will have an upheal task in explaining how examination registration monies and other related financial transactions involving school activities were allegedly fleeced through fictitious and dubious claims from the various school registrations in WAEC and NECO including the education development centres of the ministry of education now that the commissioner has finally swung into full action for fact findings (SEMB) and Heads of Departments that are handling school activities are now afraid as Prof Ikeagwuoha has inaugurated investigative panel on SEMB and EDC.
Ikeagwuoha who is the new commissioner for education has swung into full action to investigate all the alleged fraud that took place in SEMB, WAEC, NECO.
Two investigative panels were set up few days ago to look into how SEMB handled WAEC issues and NECO.
The second panel is to look into the financial activities of examination development centres (EDC) of the ministry of education.
The PRO made this known to newsmen who visited the ministry few days ago.
Inaugurating the investigation panel in his office, Prof Ikeagwuoha stressed that Imo was a premier state as far as education is concerned and that education was the biggest industry of the state, adding that this could be butteressed by the fact that the state has the highest number of professors in the country and registered the highest number of candidates in the joint admission and matriculation board (JAMB) and the West African Examination council WAEC.
He said we must take the business of education as well as make sure that there is no financial loophole in the system.
He made it clear that any money collected for the state must be accounted for as the present government led by Senator Uzodinma would not take it lightly with anybody who makes the already worse financial situation of the state more precarious.
Dr Mrs Pat Nlemedum is the chairman of 5 man investigative panel of SEMB.
The panel will establish if N4.400 was either jointly or singularly paid by each candidate and to realize how much was paid into SEMB account for IGR and outstanding not yet collected. To ascertain the number of principals that are yet to remit what monies they collected in full.
To ascertain if N4.400 was exorbitant and recommended appropriate fee to be paid.
As well as any other information apart from the above mentioned that the panel think could be very relevant to investigate for the progress of Imo IGR and education in general.
