The Chairman of Private School Operators in Zamfara Alh Ismaila Kwangwami has declared that Zamfara State Consolidated Revenue Law 2020 has clearly prescribed the amount to be paid by private school operators in Zamfara State as payment for re-accreditation and annual dues.
He stated this when he featured in a thunder blowers TV show programme Tirka-Tirka on Saturday.
It could be recalled that Zamfara State Commissioner for Education Ibrahim Abdullahi Spirow declared during the same Tirka Tirka programme of this medium that he has revoked the license of over 500 private schools operating in the state.
He also declared that, private school operators who required accreditation for grade (A), (B) and (C) must pay accreditation fees of N300,000, N200,000 and N100,000 respectively.
The Commissioner also explained that those who emerged successful from the accreditation exercise must also pay annual dues of 100,000, N75,000 and N50,000 respectively.
But in a swift reaction to the proposed amount by the state ministry for education, Alh Ismail Kwangwami said, there is no cause for alarm since the new law signed by Governor Bello Matawalle in September 2020 has prescribed in clear terms what private schools should pay.
He stated that the law instructed private schools operators in the urban areas to pay an annual due of N10,000 and N5,000 for those operating in the rural areas.
Kwangwami further said the same Consolidated Revenue Law prescribed that for those that wanted to open nursery, primary and secondary schools, a total of N20,000, N40,000 and N60,000 respectively has to be paid to Zamfara State government by the operator.
He also said, private school operators are also required by the same law to pay a registration fees of N5,000 to the state government.
He said they have already forwarded a protest letter to the Commissioner notifying him of the impossibility of the new policy on private schools operation but noted that, the Commissioner stood his ground that the policy stands.
He also said, they have written to the State Governor intimating him of the development and also copied the Speaker of the State House of Assembly.
Kwangwami expressed optimism that with the intervention of critical stakeholders the Ministry of Education will see reason on why it should moderate its position on private schools since their contribution to educational development of the state is unquantifiable.
