Educationist flays multiple taxation on private Schools in Oron

As the private school proprietors in Oron continue to lament and condemn the alarming rate of multiple taxation afflicted on them by different government, private and individually operated agencies, a frontline school administrator in the area has passionately appealed to the state government to come to their aid.

Making the plea in an exclusive interview in his office, the principal of Etiedu International Schools comprising Nursery, Primary and Secondary, Pastor Albert E. Edet revealed that in the last couple of years, his school has been inundated with series of multiple taxation assessment and remand notices amounting to thousands of Naira.

Pastor Edet regretted that despite the fulfillment of all the requirements of the State Ministry of Education before the opening of Etiedu International Schools and subsequent upgrading of the institution from Nursery to Primary and later as a recognized centre for the Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations, various organisations from either the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Board of Internal Revenue, Oron Local Government Council, including the land owners of the institution, among others have been invading the institution too frequently to demand payment of one form of tax or levy to another, and urged the government to assist the institution in curbing excesses of some of these agencies.

Pastor Edet reasoned that with the invaluable contribution of Etiedu International Schools, which he posited has produced excellent materials in tertiary institutions and employment market, the school deserves every encouragement and support to show the already existing state-of-the-art learning and teaching equipment applied for effective educational advancement of the pupils and students.

In a response to a reporter’s question, Pastor Edet confirmed that Etiedu International Schools have fulfilled the requirements for the approved West African Senior Schools Certificate (WASSCE) as well as National Examinations Council (NECO) centres in the institution, adding that both the upcoming students of the school and the needed facilities are being given what he referred to as “finishing touches”.

Pastor Edet recalled the 97% success the JSS III students of Etiedu International Schools scored in last years’ Junior Secondary Certificate Examination and expressed the enthusiasm that with high level of teaching staff, coupled with their commendable sense of commitment and loyalty, the envisaged results in the subsequent WASSCE/NECO examinations would definitely be excellent.

He then commended the untiring efforts of the founder/ proprietor of Etiedu International Schools, located at Ebong Street, off Eyotong Road, in the heart of Oron town, Deacon Etim Edwin Utok in ensuring that the veritable standard of the school is not only maintained but similarly, that the Principal, Vice Principals, Heads of Departments, Teaching and non Teaching Staff as well as pupils and students receive the best encouragement and appreciation from the governing board of the institution.

Deacon Edwin whom the Principal noted is also a high profile educationist in the Federal Government employ, has always offered the needed free-hand to the school management teams both in academics, administration and general duties even as he also believes in the operations of the Governing Board of the School.