Private School Owners In Delta Kick, As Otor-Udu Court Again Adjourns Case Against DTSG

By Daniel Dafe

Private school owners under the aegis of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Delta State Wing, are unhappy with a second adjournment of their court case against the Okowa-led administration.

Oasis Magazine learnt that the case brought before the High Court of Justice, Otor-Udu, with Suit No: OUCH/114/2021 is yet to be heard after the excuse that the judge was away for a conference on the 27th of October (date for first hearing) and again on Thursday it was said that the judge was not also on seat and in Abuja and the case again adjourned for hearing the second time to December 9, 2021.

The school owners wondered why the legal team and representatives of the government, stayed away from the court premises on Thursday when the case was supposed to be heard.

NAPPS is in court over issues of multiple taxation and illegal monies demanded by several government agencies which they said has brought about severe hardship to private school owners in the state.

Joined in the case as defendants are the Governor of Delta State, Hon. Commissioner of Finance, Delta State, Hon. Commissioner for Secondary Education, Delta State, Hon. Commissioner for Basic Education, Delta State,Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, Delta State Signage and Advertisement Agency and the Attorney General of Delta State.

Speaking to journalists, the National Vice President (South South), NAPPS, and Proprietor, Classical International Group of Schools with branches In Warri, Effurun, Ekpan, Ovwian and Orhoakpor, Dr. Ochuko Akpeme, said: “To be frank I am not happy because the issue before the court is a very significant matter and it is not something that should be dragged.”

He added: “We want to know our fate. The issue on multiple taxation is telling on our finance. As we all know, what we do is capital intensive and government is not giving us support; no grants, nothing from anywhere and you are using some of your agencies to extort private schools and you want the best from us. So, we are not happy and I just hope that the next adjourned date on the 9th of December there will be hearing so that the case can start and we can know what the court has for us in this matter. I know that our case does not lack merit. We have a case and the judge needs to face this case.”

According to him, they are educators and intellectuals and are taking the cause of the court, but would go for another higher alternative if the case is not heard on the 9th.

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Also, the state chairman, Deacon Monday Ifoghere, said he is not happy because he wants to hear what the judge and the law will tell them to do.

“We just want to know what to do because we are teachers. We are people that nurture children and we want to do things and do them right so that we can train our children in the right way. So, we are not happy. Many of us came from places as far as Asaba, some even slept over the night in Warri because of this matter. We feel so disappointed,” he said.

Deacon Ifoghere said they were told that the judge is not on seat and is attending an event, adding others said he went for congress in Abuja.

“I don’t know what to say but I just believe that someone is playing with us,” he opined.

He called on the government of Delta State to take a look at their cry.

“It is not as if we want to be disobedient citizens, but they should take a look at our cry and the issues raised and tell us the right thing to do so that we’ll run our schools peacefully,” he added.

Meanwhile, NAPPS state lawyer, Nefe Samuel Kigho, said they decided to take them by their words that the judge went for a conference.

His words: “We sincerely believe that by that day even if the other party refuses to come up at least it will come to the notice of the judge that we have actually complied with all the directives given before now by serving them the process and also serving them hearing notice. After today, we are also going to serve them another hearing notice to inform them that the matter is coming up on the 9th of December so that they cannot claim that they are not aware that the matter is coming up on a particular date. They have not shown any interest whatsoever since they have been served for almost two months now.

“Actually I will say they know what they are doing and probably they know that they have erred and maybe they are trying to put their houses in order.”