Social media influencer Reno Omokri has condemned the American International School, Abuja, for collecting school fees in dollars.
In a solemn call made on his verified X page on Saturday, Omokri urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to “swing to action and not only prosecute the owners of that school but also ask them to refund all parents who paid their fees in dollars.”
Omokri noted that paying fees in dollars in Nigeria causes “downward pressure” on the naira.
Furthermore, he urged the minister of education to close down the school while their directors are made to receive the same treatment meted out to Binance executives.
His comment comes on the heels of a report that Yahaya Bello, the embattled former governor of Kogi State, paid $845,000 in school fees in advance for his children at the American International School of Abuja.
Reacting to the report, Omokri said, “The question Nigerians are not asking is why the American International School, Abuja, is collecting school fees in U.S. dollars for a school that is domiciled in Nigeria. That is wrong, and probably illegal!
“Would the United States tolerate a school in America collecting fees in Naira or any other currency? Of course not!
“Fact-check me: Last year, the American International School, Abuja, had over 500 students. Consider the downward pressure that school is causing on the naira if 500 students pay hundreds of thousands of dollars each as school fees annually.
“That is a bigger offence and more severe economic sabotage against Nigeria than the alleged actions of Yahaya Bello.
“If I were the Minister of Education of Nigeria, that school would have been closed, and their directors would be receiving the same treatment meted out to Binance executives.
“If the EFCC swings to action and not only prosecutes the owners of that school but also asks them to refund all parents who paid their fees in dollars and asked them to repay in Naira, it would have an immediate and positive impact on the Naira.”
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
