Abia State House of Assembly Joint Committee on Education, Public Petition and Judiciary has commenced investigation into a petition written by Mr Chukwudi Onwudinanti, an indigene of Ubani Emede -Ibeku Umuahia East constituency on the alleged high fees charged at Government College, Umuahia (GCU) and other activities of the members of Fisher Education Development Trust.
In the petition, Onwudinanti who is an old Boy of GCU, alleged that the members of Fisher Education Development Trust (FEDT) have shut out brilliant children within Ibeku and Umuahia East State constituency from assessing quality education in GCU by increasing the annual school fees to more than N1m.
In the petition read out by his Lawyer, Ugochukwu Chigozie Zik, Onwudinanti said that the children of low and middle class persons, including the children of most GCUOBA members can no longer be admitted into the Government College Umuahia because of outrageous and elitist school fees, among other complaints.
He alleged that the members of Fisher Education Development Trust have concluded plans to change the constitution of the Government College Umuahia Old Boys Association where every member would be mandated to register with N10m.
According to him, the privatization and elitist system in which the school is presently run, is contrary to the July 21, 2014 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Abia government and GCUOBA.
He therefore called on the Abia State House of Assembly to intervene in the matter, lamenting that the school which produced Professor Chinua Achebe, Ken Saro Wiwa, Professor Elechi Amadi, Professor Laz Ekwueme, Professor Fubara, all present Senators from Abia State among others, has now been allegedly pocketed as a private enterprise.
Former National President of Government College Umuahia Old Boys Association, Professor Dagogo Fubara, 86, and a surviving member of the 1952 set of Government College Umuahia, travelled from Port Harcourt to the Abia State House of Assembly to testify.
He warned that no attempt should be made by any individual or group to destroy the legacy of Government College and supported the petition.
Also speaking, the National President of Government College Umuahia Old Boys Association, Dr Chinedum Ahaiwe alleged that the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of Government College Umuahia has been kept out of the reach of his members by the FEDT officials.
Dr Ahaiwe who lamented that Government College Umuahia is now being run without any regard to the members of GCUOBA, called on the Abia State House of Assembly to be diligent in handling the petition brought by Mr Onwudinanti.
Chairman of Abia State House of Assembly Joint Committee on Education, Public Petition and Judiciary, Anderson Akaliro, said the members of FEDT would be given the opportunity to defend themselves on the allegations, before the House would take its decision.
He therefore directed that the members of FEDT should appear before the House committee by Thursday next week even as he urged the members of Government College Umuahia Old Boys Association to also be present.
Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Austin Okezie said that Committee has only two weeks to conclude its works.
