By Seyi Babalola
As part of efforts to relieve naira pressure, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has placed international schools that charge tuition in dollars and other foreign currencies under observation.
Dele Oyewale, EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, confirmed the news to one of our correspondents on Thursday, saying the agency will crack down on schools and other institutions charging foreign currencies.
He repeated that it was unlawful for schools, hotels, and businesses in the country to charge for services in foreign currency.
He said that the EFCC’s 7,000-man special task force on dollar racketeers was monitoring schools and other groups that may be participating in the criminal activity.
In a move to curb the free fall of the naira against the greenback, the ant-graft agency in February summoned the proprietors of private universities and other schools charging tuition in dollars.
The task force also conducted several raids in Abuja, arresting currency traders suspected to be speculating against the naira.
Worried by the depreciation of the national currency, the Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, had met with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Yemi Cardoso and the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, to proffer solutions to the naira crisis.