…Defaulting parents, guardians to face prosecution
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Abia State Government has said that its new policy on free and compulsory education would take effect from January 2025.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who disclosed this during a press briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting, said the free and compulsory education was for all children in the state irrespective of their state of origin.
According to him, the free education will run from primary one to junior secondary school three in all public schools.
He threatened that any parent or guardian who violated the new policy would be prosecuted by the state.
“In line with the Abia Child’s Rights Law 2006, it’s now an offence for parents not to send their children or wards to school because Government has made education free and compulsory,” he said.
The policy, according to him, is in pursuance of the quest of the Gov. Alex Otti-led administration, to deliver quality and affordable education to the state.
Prince Kanu also said there was no going back on the proposed relocation of the Law Faculty of the Abia State University Umuahia campus back to Uturu main campus, explaining that the decision was taken in the overall public interest.
The Commissioner also announced that contract had been awarded for the rehabilitation of nine additional roads in different parts of the state, and promised to provide details of the new road projects later.
He also disclosed that Government would attend to all issues arising from the implementation of the new minimum wage.
The Commissioner further said that the Governor had directed the Commissioner for Works to effect immediate repairs on the failed portion of the Osisioma ‘fly -over’ built by the immediate-past administration of Gov Okezie Ikpeazu.
He regretted that “the ‘fly-over’ which is the signature project of that administration has started failing within two years.”
Contributing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, said that the opening on the ‘fly-over’ was widening and multiple, but “does not pose any immediate threat.”
