Ekiti State Government has said that there was no going back on the
N1, 000 and N500 Development Levy being paid by private and public
primary and secondary schools respectively in the State, adding that mission schools in the State will not be given preference treatment over other schools and that “no other body apart from the Federal and State government has power to make policies concerning the operation of both private and public schools in the country.”

The government noted that the decision on the Education Development
Levy of N1, 000 and N500 for secondary and primary schools
respectively was reached by all stakeholders at the Education Summit
held last year, saying that “it is wrong for any organisation to claim
that it has its own education policy that is different from that of
the State and that no law empowers the state government of Ekiti to
impose Education Development Levy on pupils/students of mission
schools in Ekiti State.”

The State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon.
Jide Egunjobi, who made this known in a statement issued on Sunday,
disclosed that seven schools owned by the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti
State had already complied with the government policy by paying the
development levy, dismissing the threat to sue the government by the
Catholic Diocese.

“Christ The King Catholic College, Ire; St. Theresa`s Catholic
School, Ikole Ave Maria International College, Osun; St. Joseph`S
Nursery/Primary School, Ado; Immaculate Nursery/Primary School,
Ilupeju; St. Philip Catholic Nursery/Primary School, Otun and St.
Louis Nursey/Primary School, Ikere have all complied with the
government directive on the development levy,” he said.

The commissioner also disclosed that mission schools owned by the
Anglican Diocesan, Christ Apostolic Church, Apostolic Faith, Baptist
Church, Deeper Life and Muslim Societies have already paid the levy.

“It has become necessary that we correct the impression the press
conference addressed by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti,
Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, on the payment of Education Development Levy
in Ekiti State was meant to create.

“In some States, Crèche Fee, Back Duty Levy, Entertainment or
Merriment Levy and others levies are collected from schools and
mission schools are not exempted.

“Whether or not mission schools should be treated differently does not even arise because other most of the mission schools in the State have
paid the development levy. Even the Catholic Diocese that is
threatening legal action, seven of its schools have paid.”