Popular Afropop singer, Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa a.k.a Joeboy, has urged schools in Nigeria to desist from embarrassing students who are unable to pay school fees.
He made the appeal during an interview with journalist and broadcaster, Chude Jideonwo, adding that they also need to stop flogging students for the same reason.
Joeboy also recalled how he was embarrassed in secondary school because he was known as the student who could not pay his tuition.
According to the ‘Alcohol’ crooner, his classmates had called him out one time in school when the administrators tried to punish those whose school fees are yet to be paid by their parents.
He said that those same people have been trying to reach him, but he keeps ignoring them.
Joeboy said; “Some Challenges on the way, maybe you fail some exams, maybe you owe school fees. Like there was one part where it was school fees, yea. That thing was so embarrassing, I need to say this on camera to schools. I don’t know whether they still do it but if a child owes school fees, don’t call the child out and say you’re owing school fees, just tell the child not to come to school.
There’s one other thing they used to do, they used to flog the child for not paying school fees. The child doesn’t have money now, so I need to put that on camera for anybody that owns a school who is watching this, do not embarrass the child because he is owing school fees.
So it was really embarrassing for me at that point because I think it affected my esteem too at that point because, I remember one incident, I was in JS3 because they used to come to this class to name people that owe school fees.
So before they even said anything, people were like Aminfewa Joseph, so I still remember till today and I still get those guys for mind, yeah. And they’ve tried to reach out to me, I just ignore them like why are you talking to me? They might not have meant it but e pain me.”
