Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has approved the sum of N145,476,984 for the payment of Common Entrance and First School Leaving Certificate of 25,100 pupils in public primary schools.
He also approved the sum of N215,220,000 for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for 30,000 students and an additional N181,719, 800 for Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms for 18,334 students in public schools.
This was made known by the State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Wemi Jones at a press conference in Lokoja on Tuesday.
Hon Jones disclosed that the recently approved N661m for payment of West African Examination Council (WAEC) has been released to the Ministry.
He said the Ministry had commenced process of profiling to ensure that only deserving students benefit, insisting that only students captured for the payment will be the beneficiaries
“No students or pupils should pay any amounts for any of those examination as everything has been covered including administrative charges and passport photograph of the beneficiaries,” he said.
He warned against principals putting in names of non beneficiaries into the list.
“We warn against ‘strange names’ creeping into the register. This will endanger the scheme and rob those who are supposed to benefit from benefiting.”
The Commissioner explained that the reason behind the policy of the state government is to increase school enrollment, reduce out-of-school children and ensure school completion period.
He noted that the immediate past administration of Governor Yahaya Bello signed into law the Kogi State Free Examination, Registration Bill for Kogi State Students and Pupils in Public Schools and Other Matters Connected therewith; and it has become the responsibility of government to pay for all the internal and external examination fees for students and pupils in public primary and secondary schools in the state.
The Commissioner said the Governor Ododo-led administration has continued in the legacies and foundation built by his predecessor.
He added that very soon the state will make its position known on NECO and NABTEB examinations.
