Kano State Private and Voluntary Schools Board has withdrawn the operational certificates of over 4,000 private primary and secondary schools in the state. 

The agency has also instructed proprietors of private schools in the state to make a fresh application for the renewal of their certificates. Besides, it directed the immediate suspension of all tax consultants and other revenue structures responsible for revenue collection from private schools owners in the state.

The Special Adviser to Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf on Private and Voluntary Schools, Alh. Baba Abubakar Umar, gave the instruction yesterday while engaging with members of the Association of Proprietors of Private Schools in Kano.

The Special Adviser, who explained that the withdrawal of the certificates was not targeted at extorting the private schools proprietors, added that the purpose was mainly for data capturing.

Umar raised concerns over private schools operating without adequate infrastructure, stating that the government would not hesitate to shut down any facility found wanting.

He accused the past administration of diverting and misappropriating revenue generated from the private schools, adding that it would not be business as usual.

Umar stressed that the government has developed a new data base to monitor compliance to its policies and improve the quality of teachers in private schools in the state.

“Government is ready to shut down substandard and illegal private schools in Kano and we have henceforth withdrawn the operating certificates of all the private primary and secondary schools in the state to sanitise the system.

“Government has discovered a lot of rot in the system including illegal exchange of cash in the name of revenue. The previous government engaged all sorts of tax consultants. From our observation, their activities were fraudulent because those remittances did not go to government coffers. We have suspended all activities of consultants indefinitely,” he added.

Chairman, National Association of Schools Proprietors, Kano chapter, Alh. Mohammadu Malam Adamu, applauded the government’s move to reposition private schools in the state.