Story By, Elvis Omoregie Benin
Concerned Parents of Our Lady of Mercy, (OLM) Nursery/Primary School, Benin, on Monday, protested the outrageous levies imposed on them by the school Management.
The protesters, clad in black, brandished placards of various inscriptions which include “Our Lady of Mercy not a business empire, no PTA levy, Helen must go, Rev. Omede is presiding over a board that he is not in control of, the board must be desolved and reconstituted”
Spokesperson for the group and chairman, Parent Teacher Association, OLM, Mr. Adorolo Michael Osikhena while addressing newsmen in Benin City, said the inclusion of electricity bill, and the payment of the sum of N700 for the purchase of diesel to run the school is not the duty of the parents but that of the management of the school.
He said they have paid their children school feels and other sundry but more worrisome was the inclusion of electricity bill, and the payment of the sum of N700 for the purchase of diesel to run the school.
“We are made to pay outstanding fees that is not there, we pay for Home Economic practical, music practical, library and all these are not there. You know that taken money on false pretense is criminal.
“There have been a lot of criminal activities going on in that school. The management of the school are not concerned.
“Father Michael Oyanofo, the chancellor of the school, did say even though the school was set up for the purpose of educating children, it is more or less a profit organization than any other thing and that is why I am saying that if it is buying and selling that is involved in that school and if you make profit and you do not share it with the parents and if you are at loss, you do not need to tell the parents to come and pay”, he said
Adorolo also decried the high number of subjects being taught in the school when compelled to other schools being run by the same Catholic church.
“21 subjects for the children are too much. The maximum allowed by the ministry of Education is 9 for public schools while having sampled some private schools around, the highest we got was 15. OLM is a Catholic school, Sacred Heart is Catholic School, Brother Pius is a Catholic School, headed by the same Sisters of Sacred Heart but they are offering 15 subjects”, he said.
The PTA chairman added that for the school to maintain its pride of place among the schools being owned by the missionary in the state, the church should dissolve its board and reconstitute it.
Another parent, Mr. Obose Nkem, said the fight started when the said Helen was demanding for outstanding fees from the parents which they kicked against.
According to him “They said like my two kids, one in kg 2 and the other in kg 3. The one in kg 3, the outstanding is N850 while the one in kg 2, the outstanding is N250.
“We told them we cannot pay it because we do not know the reason for it. It will please you to know that on the said vacation day, they were refunding money to us? I am owing outstanding and you want to refund N750 to me for what? I rejected the money”.
The parents unanimously called for the removal of the Headmistress of the school, Rev. Sister Helen Ilekhuojie for an alleged highhandedness.
However, an attempt to get the views of the said Helen Ilekhuojie was unsuccessful as several calls made to her phone left unanswered.