Three secondary schools belonging to some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Ebonyi state chapter have been shutdown.
This followed their alleged non compliance to the payment of Internally Generated revenue (IGR) to the state government.
The schools include: Mandate International School Izhia, Royal Comprehensive College Ezzangbo and Royal Demonstration Nursery and Primary School Ezzangbo, all in Ohaukwu Local government area of Ebonyi state.
One of the schools, Royal Comprehensive College belonged to the former commissioner for education, Prince Chibueze Agbo who is now a major chieftain of APC, in the state.
Speaking to journalists in Abakaliki, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on Internal Security, Dr Kenneth Ugbala said the schools from the security reports had some questions to answer.
He alleged that the owners of the said schools failed to pay IGR to the government.
“The reason for the closure is because these schools have blatantly refused to pay the consolidated Internal Generated Revenue for two years and I know very well that they have been severally served demand notice and they never complied.
“Also, the affected schools have not paid the payee tax that is supposed to be paid by the staff of the schools; they did not follow government approved building plan.
“Security report shows that most of the criminal cases in Ohaukwu are championed by some of the schools and they also record highest in cultism activities”, he claimed.
He further noted that the reasons for shuting down the schools was to enable security agents conduct proper investigations on the alleged cult activities linked to some of them.
“Because of over riding public interest, coupled with the non-compliance on taxes accrueable to the government, we are closing down the schools so that security agencies and government can have time to investigate the school”, he added.
Ugbala, who decried the dirty environment of the primary and nursery school which the children are kept, said it was not hygienic for studying.
In a remark, Martins Okwuegbu Special Advicer to Governor Umahi on Internal generated revenue said his office was on enforcement duties on facilities that had refused to comply with the approved IGR by the state government.
According to him,”we started with the hotels in the state, we are now facing the schools.
“We started today with North senatorial zone after which we go to the central and the south senatorial zones respectively”.
Deacon Ebe chukwudi Principal of Mandate International School Izhia in a reaction said the school will only respond to government at the proper time.
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