Private school owners lament heavy taxation, closure of schools in Enugu

Owners of private schools in Enugu State have accused the government of placing a heavy taxation burden on them.

They alleged that the government was shutting down schools that cannot afford the high taxes which range between N450,000 to N2.2 million depending on the size of the school.

Addressing a press conference at the weekend, the pioneer chairman of Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria (APSON), Amb. Emeka Agbowo Grahams, said that all entreaties to make the government see reasons had fallen on deaf ears.

He said that before now they used to pay what is called ‘annual renewal fee’ of N30,000 but lamented that the Enugu State Ministry of Education has increased the fee above 200 per cent.

“The issue is that private school owners in Enugu State are being manhandled by a policy.

“The government, through the Ministry of Education came up with a policy of high taxation far beyond what we used to have prior to this administration.

“It used to be N30,000 annual renewal but now we have various taxes that are broken into stages.

“Prior to now, it used to be one and it covers everything but now you have early child tax, one for Junior Secondary School, one for Senior Secondary School and other categories.

“The worst of it is that the provisional approval fee that schools used to pay no longer applies.

“They say you have to register afresh. Let me just say that if you are running early child – that is nursery, primary, Junior and senior secondary school, you are expected to pay close to N2.2 million,” he lamented.

According to him, comparatively other states like Lagos, Rivers and Abuja don’t pay that much.

Grahams pointed out that efforts they have made for a change of heart have not yielded any dividend.

“There was a time they would listen to us but this government is not listening to us.

“Schools are being shut for not paying the fees and once they pay, they are reopened. Their interest is not in the quality or standard of education but money,” he further alleged.

Also speaking, Dr. Ejiofor Godwin, member Enugu State Education Stakeholders and President (PAPS), South East, pointed out that “These heavy taxes do nothing to improve the quality of education but serve only to further burden private school owners.”

Godwin noted that private schools contribute significantly to the state internally generated revenue, adding that they should be encouraged and assisted to grow instead of stifling them.

The private school proprietors also demanded that the government should give at least 3 years for them to improve on structures and facilities in their schools.

They also requested financial and material support to school owners and removal of equal fees payable at the ministry adding that fees should be charged according to the location, financial and numerical strength of each school.

Meanwhile, the counsel to the Private School owners, Barr. Ogbuka JMCC, said that under the Nigerian law, private school owners were not to pay tax because schools fall under Section 18 of the Constitution which stipulates Compulsory Free Education.

He maintained that, “there is no levy or tax for private schools. Anything contrary is nullity.”