By Technocrat Media, Akure
The leadership of the Association of Tutorial School Operators in Ondo state hereby debunk the malicious and misleading story published by Sahara Reporters on the subject matter. The story was not a true account of what happened but we suspected that some disgruntled elements partnered with the media outfit to rubbish the integrity of our noble Association.
Earlier in the month of March, the leadership of the Association had directed its members to shut down operations across the state in tandem with the social distancing order of government which has been strictly adhered to by our authentic members. The story published by Sahara Reporters was a concocted and devious lie meant to discredit the Association of Tutorial School Operators in Ondo State.
While we would have loved to remain silent, it’s however necessary for us to stop the spread of falsehood by Sahara Reporters and those behind the lie.
To place the truth on record, the leader of the Association, Mr. Bankole Fisayo, never said those caught disobeying lockdown order were members of the Association. The true of account of what happened was that the Association received a tip-off from the members of the public that some lesson operators were operating in Akure metropolis. The task force of the Association led by the public relations officer, Mr. Babalola Wasiu contacted the authority of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps that mobilized her men, an arrest was made.
Those involved were never our members. The Association later intervened when they were taken to the NSCDC office at Alagbaka and the case was settled after they were made to write an undertaken not to operate until the ban is lifted by the government. The number of students involved was not up to 20 students. However, as a law-abiding Association, our intervention was on the premise that the offenders had surrendered to join the Association and respect all orders and laws of government on the code of conduct and ethics of operation in order to eradicate examination malpractice in the state.
Furthermore, we wish to differentiate between lesson operators and tutorial school operators in the state. Only registered and accredited centers are referred to as tutorial schools while those who are unknown to the state are regarded as lesson operators. Tutorial centers are a post-secondary education facility operated in standard environments with quality learning fully accredited by the government.
Earlier in April 2020, the Association gave out COVID-19 and food palliatives worth millions of naira to our members, and some identified vulnerable households to cushion the effect of shutting down and lock down the order by the government. If we haven’t obeyed lockdown order, how could we have embarked on giving out palliative to our members?
This is the true account of what happened. So, none of our authentic and legal members disobeyed lockdown order in the state. Our centers have been under lock and keys since the pronouncement of lockdown ordered by the government.
Association of Tutorial School Operators, ATSO is a law-abiding association committed to promoting academic excellence, contributing to the elimination of examination malpractices and enhancing integrity in the Education sector over the years in Ondo State and at the national.
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