Nigerian schools charging in dollars for pupils’ school fees and other sundries, may have landed themselves in trouble.
This is because the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has decided to put its focus on them, indications show.
The EFCC says its decision to put focus on them is because their practice of charging school fees in dollars and other foreign currencies was putting the Nigerian Naira under pressure.
Though the national currency has achieved a level of appreciation in the recent, it has come with mixed feelings with some believing that the so-called appreciation may not last.
On its latest resolve to rescuing the Naira however, the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, reportedly told of the reason for the planned close up to a Punch correspondent.
He said it was illegal for schools, hotels and firms operating in the country to charge for services in foreign currencies rather than the local currency.
According to him, the 7,000-man special task force on dollar racketeers operating across the EFCC zonal commands was monitoring the schools and other organisations that might be involved in the illegality of demanding payments in dollars and other foreign currencies.
This is coming as strong followup to a summon last February, of owners of the institutions and organisations found culpable of the act.
The task force also conducted several raids in Abuja, arresting currency traders suspected to be speculating against the naira.
Relatedly, the Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, and the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had equally met on the same matter of organisations and schools charging in dollars.
The EFCC spokesman, Oyewale, had informed that the task force was set up ‘to checkmate those breaking the rules.
“The task force is not just to monitor naira abuse alone but for the whole economy. So, the EFCC is working to ensure that those breaking the rules find their way back to the right path so that the wrath of the law will not be on them.
“Yes, everyone knows that it is illegal to charge in other denominations apart from the naira. Whether in Chinese or American currency, any transaction that is not denominated in naira in Nigeria, the EFCC is against it.
“So, the task force is in place to check that and Nigerians should be happy about that. It is not just schools, hotels but other entities across the country that are doing this must come back to the naira as our legal tender.’’
He added, “Naira is the symbol of our economy and everything that has to do with the economy in Nigeria must be done in naira.’’eagle
