Control1stAdmin1
From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi
The Executive Secretary (ES) of Benue State Education Quality Assurance and Examinations Board (BEQAEB), Dr. Terna Francis, has clarified that the board’s activities concerning revenue collection from schools in the state are being backed by the law.
Francis stated this while responding to allegations leveled against him by the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Benue State Chapter.
The association, in a communique, had called for the immediate removal of the BEQAEB Executive Secretary accusing him of engaging in an unhealthy rivalry with the state ministry of education, a conflict they said has subjected private schools to conflicting directives, duplicative controls, high, illegal and multiple statutory levies as well as regulatory uncertainty, effectively turning schools into casualties of inter-agency rivalry.
According them, the jurisdictional conflicts is currently affecting private school candidate registrations for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and National Examinations Council (NECO) exams, urging the Governor to scrap BEQAEB in the state ministry of education.
Speaking to newsmen in his office in Makurdi, Francis who clarified that BEQAEB’s mandate, reforms and enforcement measures across public and private schools in Benue State, said his office is one of the most disciplined regulatory establishments in the state.
He said NAPPS was reacting to their enforcement of government policies that have now blocked avenues that were putting undue extra cash into their pockets.
While noting noting that resistance from schools and proprietors is often inevitable whenever regulations are enforced, Francis explained that the Governor’s decision to strengthen Quality Assurance and separate it from the Ministry of Education was guided by the need for a more rigorous and independent mechanism for monitoring schools.
Quoting the enabling law, Dr. Francis said BEQAEB is empowered to inspect, monitor, regulate, accredit and sanction schools, both public and private, to ensure compliance with approved minimum standards.
He noted that this legal backing informed the establishment of the Board to allow closer scrutiny of school operations and ensure proper implementation of education sector reforms.
He explained that part of the reform agenda includes the enforcement of policies such as the re-use of textbooks, the prohibition of graduation ceremonies for non-certificate classes, as well as the ban on compulsory lessons for kindergarten and lower basic education learners.
On levies collectible by BEQAEB, the ES referred to the Revenue Administration Law and the approved 2026 budget estimates, where revenues such as Quality Control, Workshop, Sports and ICT Development levies are clearly captured, adding that his office has never collected what is not captured in their mandate.
He explained that reactions from some proprietors arose after BEQAEB queried exorbitant charges by certain schools, including fees as high as N35,000 for BECE instead of the approved N10,250, and between N70,000 and N100,000 for WAEC, which is officially pegged at N27,000 with an additional processing fee of N500, bringing the total to N27,500.
He stated that it was the wish of Governor Hyacinth Alia that parents should not be over burdened with huge fees saying such practices would not be allowed to continue.
He warned that schools are only permitted to collect approved fees, adding that the Governor has directed that handling charges must not exceed N5,000 in order to reduce the financial burden on parents.
He assured journalists that BEQAEB will continue to enforce the law, protect learners and parents, and restore discipline, credibility and standardisation in the education system across Benue State.
He noted that government has alredy invested in education, by constructing new primary school structures, renovating existing facilities, and the recruitment of over 10,000 teachers into basic education schools through the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
He stated that the education sector received over 15 percent of the state’s total budget in 2024 and 2025, with a significant increase in the 2026 budget to 25.29 percent, describing the geature as a clear demonstration of the administration’s commitment to reforms.
