Parents in Kano State have expressed frustration over the non-refund of their children’s qualifying examination fees by the Kano Educational Resource Department (KERD) Qualifying Unit.
The fees, initially paid as ₦26,500 for the 2024 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) exams, were reportedly supposed to be refunded after the state government settled the payments.
Speaking to journalists on behalf of the affected parents, Muhammad Bello Yusuf described their plight.
“The governor, His Excellency Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, graciously settled the examination fees for all eligible students in the state. However, despite this intervention, KERD has failed to refund the fees that parents like us had already paid in advance,” he said.
Yusuf further lamented the financial burden this has caused for many families. “Parents are struggling to make ends meet in these difficult economic times. We expected the refund to ease some of our financial pressures, but seven months have passed, and there is no word from KERD,” he added.
Ado Muhammad Tiga, a father of two, reiterated Yusuf’s concerns, calling on the state government to intervene and ensure the refunds are processed without further delay.
“I have two children, and I struggled to settle their payments. We thank Almighty God that the state governor paid for our children’s fees, but KERD’s Qualifying Unit has yet to refund our money, even after seven months,” he stated.
He added, “This is a question of accountability and trust. We trust the government to act in the best interest of its people, and we hope this matter will be resolved soon.”
It will be recalled that in June last year, the Kano State Government approved the disbursement of ₦2,910,682,780 to cover the 2024 NECO and National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) fees for 119,903 underprivileged students who could not afford the expenses.
The then Commissioner for Education, Umar Doguwa, revealed this development during a media briefing in Kano. He clarified that any student who obtained at least four credits in any subject during the qualifying examinations (mock) in the state would be eligible for registration.
Doguwa emphasized that the decision stemmed from Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s concern for students facing financial challenges, aiming to prevent them from missing out on crucial educational opportunities.
Speaking on the matter, the Qualifying Examination Coordinator at the Kano Educational Resource Department (KERD), Malam Lawan Kibiya, stated that parents who have not received alerts confirming their refunds should direct their inquiries to the secondary schools where the registration fees were initially paid, as the issue may not originate from KERD.
“I can confirm that KERD has refunded 100% of the qualifying examination fees to parents. If anyone has not received the refund, it is likely due to issues with the secondary school where the payment was made or possibly delays caused by the recent system upgrades in commercial banks,” Malam Lawan explained.
He urged affected parents to lodge their complaints at the KERD Qualifying Unit for further assistance.
“We are still receiving complaints in this regard, and our doors remain open to parents who have not received their refunds for the 2024 qualifying examination fees,” he assured.
