July 11, (THEWILL) – About 5,461 schools, currently operating in Benue State, are at risk of closure due to their failure to meet recertification status.
The Director-General of Benue State Bureau for Education Quality Assurance (BEQA), Dr Terna Francis, who led a delegation to the Benue State Board of Internal Revenue Services (BIRS), to discuss inter-agency collaboration, disclosed this on Thursday, in Makurdi, the state capital.
He pointed out that many schools operate without being duly registered, thereby evading taxes.
“BEQA’s ongoing efforts to monitor, evaluate, and ensure standards in schools have revealed that over 6,000 private schools are operating in Benue State, but only 539 have presented themselves to be captured through the recertification exercise.”
The Director-General explained that BEQA was at BIRS to seek synergy in the same manner it had contacted the Benue State Urban Development Board to enforce the demolition of illegal schools.
He, however, gave a grace period to schools that have not yet filled out their forms and returned them to the BEQA office for capture between now and the 26th of July, 2024, to do the needful or risk closure as enforcement will begin in the first week of August.
Responding, the Acting Executive Chairman of BIRS, Mr Emmanuel Agema, assured full cooperation by the Service in the enforcement exercise and the implementation of its policies, noting that BIRS will be the greatest beneficiary of the exercise, as more schools will be captured in the tax net.
In his remarks, Mr Joseph Asase commended Dr Francis for taking the right steps to revamp the educational sector in the state for the betterment of the Benue child, charging him not to relent in his efforts with his team.
Earlier, the Legal Adviser and Secretary of BIRS, Barr Ushahemba Dekaa, commended the BEQA team for their courage and visit to synergise with the Service for greater productivity of the two sister agencies.
