N15m Fraud Rocks Unity School PTA In Ebonyi

Parents of students at the Federal Science Technical College (FSTC), Amuzu in Ebonyi State, under the auspices of Concerned Parents and the chairman, Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Mr Monday Eze, have disagreed on the alleged mismanagement of N15 million belonging to the association.

Briefing journalists yesterday in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, the spokesperson of the Concerned Parents, Mr Okoro Olughu accused, Mr Eze, Mrs Nwali Nkechi, the financial secretary, and Mr Ogbonnaya James, the public relations officer of mismanaging the group’s N15 million.

Olughu who is the PTA’s treasurer said they decided to brief the press and also alert other parents on the goings on in the association.

“We, on behalf of ourselves, all FSTC PTA members and concerned parents, wish to use this medium to bring to the knowledge of the public the flagrant mismanagement of the PTA funds by the PTA chairman, Mr. Eze Monday.

“Within his first six months in office, he has lavishly squandered over N15 million, in his wanton recklessness without any substantial physical structure to show for it,” Olughu said.

When contacted, Eze debunked the allegation and insisted that Olughu was consistently absent during PTA meetings where major decisions are taken.

He called on parents to ignore the allegation, describing it as false and baseless.

But Olughu said, “It is regrettable that the PTA chairman, Mr Eze since assuming office about six months ago insists that every financial transaction and withdrawal from the PTA account must be routed through his personal account.

“He goes all out, alone to negotiate contract with suppliers, labourers or service providers, only to come back and feed the Exco with the final costs he agreed with the contractors, and the payment must always pass through his bank account to the final beneficiary.”

He further expressed regret that Eze floated a compulsory development levy of N30,000 for every new student and forced it down the throats of the parents last year, adding that hundreds of parents had to withdraw their children from the school.

He said the concerned parents had in a petition dated January 18, 2024 addressed to the minister of education and the director of senior secondary education, called for an investigation panel to stop the mismanagement of the PTA funds.