By Kola Adeyemi
Kabba – Kogi State government has stopped Hon. Leke Abejide, the member representing Yagba Federal Constituency in the national assembly from paying the WAEC fees of final year secondary school students in Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu federal Constituency area of the state .
This came to fore on Friday, January 28 at Kabba when the principal of a secondary school prevented Abejide from presenting cheques covering the fee payable for the May/June ,2023 WAEC to the final year students.
The Principal, identified simply as Mr Abolusoro, told the Reps member point blank that his action was based on ” an order from the above.”
Abolusoro explained that he had been ordered not to allow the students to come out to receive the WAEC fee assistance from Abejide .
This drama played out on Friday at St Augustine College, Kabba , centre for the disbursement of the WAEC to all final year secondary secondary students in Kabba town.
Abejide expressed shock over the development, wondering why a state government will go to the extent of playing politics with the future of students in public secondary schools.
He also chided the principal for not informing of the government’s unfavourable disposition to his gesture , saying that Abolusoro was carried along in all the preparations for the exercise.
Abejide, a member of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) explained that his gesture of paying WAEC fees of final year secondary students started many years in Yagba area of the state before his foray into politics.
He said he decided to extend the gesture to the neighbouring Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu federal Constituency as a form of service to God and humanity.
According to him, the aim is to ameliorate the plight of indigent parents and secure a better future for the students.
He dismissed insinuations that his gesture was political, saying that it was borne out of his genuine concern for the development of education in Okunland.
Abejide said that he has been a strong supporter of Governor Yahaya Bello, stating that he worked for his re-election in 2019.
The Director-General of Leke Abejide Foundation, Mr Shola Adebola in his reaction appealed to parents and guests who had turned to witness the event to bear with the foundation.
He said that Abejide will return to Kabba to distribute the cheques to the students as planned.
Abejide was accompanied to the venue by top politicians, including ADC senatorial candidate, Dele Williams, the Kabba-Bunu/ Ijumu Reps candidate, Architect Salman Idris and the Kabba- Bunu House Assembly candidate, Ayodeji Olumudi.
Recalled that Hon. Natasha Akpoti, the PDP senatorial candidate in Kogi central was similarly prevented from paying the WAEC fee of final year secondary school students in Ebiraland sometime ago. (vitalnewsngr.com)
