BENIN CITY – As part of efforts to cushion the economic effects of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and #EndSARS protests of last year, private schools owners in Edo State are pushing for Tax and Renewal fee waiver.
The proprietors also urged government to provide “palliatives for our staff whose data could be easily sourced from the state Inland Revenue Service PAYEE record.”
The position was contained in a statement by Edo State wing of the Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria (APSON) and the Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED)
The statement was endorsed by Bishop Ohis Emmanuel Elakhe and Comrade Osagie Erhunmwunse, Chairmen of APSON and
AFED respectively.
The groups appealed to the State government to ensure Schools’ safe reopening on February 1, 2021, because, “this will enable our final year students join their counterparts in the country to enrol and seat for WASSCE which is expected to hold in April 2021.”
While commending the State Government for its pragmatic approach to curtail the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the group expressed concern over the “selective” closure of schools till February 1, 2021.
According to the stakeholders, “whereas schools remain the most coordinated environment for effective containment of the virus.
“Moreso, we are however shocked that stakeholders in the education sector were excluded in the consultative meeting of government which adopted the opening of markets, places of worship and holding of parties.”
