By: Oluwatosin Adesola
Parents under the umbrella of the Parents Teachers’ Association (PTA) at Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Imeri in Ose local government area of Ondo State, have cleared the Chairman of the association, Dr Emmanuel Olasehinde and the management of the school of any financial wrongdoing in the process of running the school’s affairs.
Reacting to an online report, the parents said contrary to the report, Dr Olasehinde as a reputable scholar, he had never and he would not collaborate with anybody to squander the school’s funds.
In a Press Statement signed by the parents including the PTA Secretary, Mr Adeyemi Moses and the Public Relations officer, Mr Olaniyi Idris, the Association said an independent investigation had been carried out on the finances of the school and PTA accounts and it was discovered that the allegation in the report was not only untrue but also mischievous.
The school management had been alleged in the online report of collecting “illegal fees” such as N15,000 extension fee by students writing the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
The report also alleged that the school’s PTA Chairman, Dr Olasehinde, had been collaborating with the management to squander funds raised by parents.
However in the press statement, the PTA noted that the report by an online media was an attempt to malign the reputation of Dr Olasehinde, the school’s image and some parents.
The parents said “our attention has been drawn to a story published in your online report captioned under the title above, which said report was dated 14th August. 2020.
“The report alleged that “Some parents of students of Nigerian Navy Secondary School lmeri, Ondo State have expressed concern over a request for payment for third term fees by Management of the school
despite teaching not taking place”.
“We assert unequivocally as concerned parents and on behalf of other parents whose wards attend the school that the report is unfounded, untrue and baseless.
“An independent investigation had been carried out to verify the authenticity of the report and it was discovered that the allegation is not only untrue but also mischievous. It was an attempt to malign the reputation of the school and some parents.
“The investigation also revealed that the petition allegedly written by one of the parents to the Directorate of State Security (DSS) was due to some communication gaps, and the parent who wrote the petition had withdrawn it from the DSS, after knowing the truth. Hence, the parent acted out of ignorance.
“Moreover, the clam that the PTA Chairman, Dr Emmanuel Olasehinde (who was specifically mentioned in the report) had been collaborating with the Management to squander funds raised by parents is not only untrue but an unholy attempt to assassinate the character of a trusted and tested leader with high level of integrity,” the PTA officials said.