The Gombe State office of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project has issued a stern warning to school principals, teachers and School Based Management Committee (SBMC) leaders over alleged extortion of beneficiaries of the girl-child scholarship scheme.
The State Coordinator of the AGILE Project, Dr. Amina Haruna Abdul, raised the alarm while speaking to journalists in Gombe, following reports of unauthorised deductions and fraudulent collections from students in some local government areas.
Dr. Amina expressed disappointment over the misconduct, describing it as “unacceptable and deeply disappointing.”
“This initiative was designed to remove financial barriers and ensure that every deserving girl has the opportunity to stay in school, learn, and fulfil her potential,” she said. “It is therefore very sad that some school principals were found to be fraudulently collecting money from scholarship beneficiaries.”
She disclosed that the AGILE Project had already activated its monitoring mechanism to address the violations. Investigative teams, she said, confirmed that some principals acted contrary to the programme’s guidelines by soliciting or collecting money from beneficiaries.
“These actions are not only a betrayal of public trust, but a direct attack on the noble initiative of His Excellency, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, to uplift girls and transform lives through the AGILE Project,” she added.
Dr. Amina noted that the implicated principals have been identified and compelled to refund all monies collected. She further assured that appropriate sanctions would be applied to deter future misconduct.
While urging parents, students and community members to remain vigilant, she encouraged them to report any irregularities through the project’s dedicated hotlines. She revealed that enhanced monitoring and reporting systems are being deployed across schools to prevent recurrence.
The coordinator reiterated that the girl’s scholarship under AGILE is completely free, stressing that “no principal, teacher or community leader is allowed to collect money from any beneficiary under any guise.”
She appealed to the public to promptly report any wrongdoing through the following hotlines: 09076949555, 07067026288, 08062304975, and 08023837106.
