The Benue State Government, through the Education Quality Assurance and Examinations Board (BEQAE), has instructed the school in Makurdi to immediately refund the N106,000 being demanded from parents for the registration of West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO), describing the charges as excessive and unjustified.
The directive followed several complaints from dissatisfied parents who accused the school of levying arbitrary examination fees. Acting on the petitions, the Board summoned the school’s proprietor, principal, and members of the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) executive to a meeting in Makurdi, where they reportedly failed to justify the amount being requested.
Speaking during the engagement, the Executive Secretary of BEQAE, Dr. Terna Francis, explained that the officially approved WAEC registration fee was N28,000, while NECO was yet to announce its fees for the 2026 examinations.
“Schools are only permitted to collect officially approved examination fees, with a handling charge not exceeding N5,000 per examination,” Francis stated.
He further emphasized that candidates were not obliged to register for both WAEC and NECO, noting that such choices should be left to parents and students.
“Registration for WAEC and NECO is optional, not compulsory. Any additional costs must be transparently discussed and mutually agreed upon by parents, not imposed without consultation,” he added.
Francis also expressed concern over reports that parents at the school had been denied opportunities to voice their opinions, alleging that PTA meetings had not been held for almost two years and that parents were barred from commenting on the school’s WhatsApp platform.
He also criticized the routing of school and examination payments through the proprietor’s personal bank account, describing it as a violation of accountability and transparency.
“Such practices undermine proper auditing and are unacceptable in a regulated educational system,” he said.
Francis consequently directed the Director of Enforcement and Compliance Operations, Rev. Fr. Dr. Terungwa Tor, to place the school under close monitoring to ensure full adherence to the Board’s directives.
Warning against exploitation of parents, Francis noted that schools found imposing undue financial burdens on learners could face severe penalties, including revocation of their operating licenses.
“These exploitative practices only worsen the problem of out-of-school children, which the government is determined to address,” he stated.
