The Abia State House of Assembly has launched an investigation into claims of mismanagement and a steep increase in school fees at Government College Umuahia (GCU). The controversy centers on the management of the school by the Trustees of the Fisher Educational Development Trust (FEDT).
An alumnus of GCU, Chukwudi Onwudinanti, filed a petition alleging that the school fees at GCU, a public institution, have been raised to over one million naira. He also claimed that the high fees prevent bright but poor students from gaining admission.
The crisis intensified when the Okwe Ilieze Nwodo-led team reportedly appointed new trustees for the school without the approval of the Abia State House of Assembly, despite an earlier order to maintain the current situation.
Onwudinanti’s lawyer, Mr. Ugochukwu Zik, accused the FEDT trustees in the USA and UK of ignoring the Assembly’s directive. He said they went ahead to announce the new board, disregarding the Assembly’s authority.
Meanwhile, the National President of the GCU Old Boys Association (GCUOBA) stated that the group would suspend the inauguration of the new trustees and respect the Assembly’s decision.
During a hearing in March 2025, the Abia Assembly Committee on Public Petitions invited all parties to explain their sides. The co-chairman of the committee, Uchenna Okoro Kalu, and representatives of the FEDT, led by Onyema Nkele, denied most of the allegations made by Onwudinanti.
The Assembly’s intervention comes amid growing concerns about access to quality education and transparency in school management in Abia State and across Nigeria.
