Students in state-owned tertiary institution in Imo state
have made a passionate appeal to the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, not
to end the ongoing free education in the state. According to them, it has gone
a long way in alleviating the sufferings of indigent families who could not
afford to pay tuition for their children in school. The students made this
appeal at the Imo Trade and Investment Centre in Owerri, the state capital,
during the re-validation and identification exercise organized by the state
government, to ascertain the number of Imo indigenes benefiting from the state
free education policy as well as ensures that the beneficiaries are of Imo
extraction.
Since the inception
of the Okorocha-led administration in 2011, education from primary to secondary
has been made free for students in state owned schools. In 2013, the state
government also extended the free education to state owned tertiary
institutions and testimonies from beneficiaries have highlighted its
importance. However, few weeks ago, the state government directed students in
all the state owned tertiary institutions to obtain a form aimed at
re-validating and identifying all the students enjoying the free education.
The
students who are mainly from Imo State University, Imo State Polytechnic, Imo
State College of Education, and the Imo State School of Nursing, have appealed
to the government not to put an end to the free education policy, maintaining
that the importance of the free education to families cannot be overemphasized.
WE ARE IMSUVILA, WE SPEAK IMSU
Another 400 level economics student from IMSU, Emeka Duru, said: ” My parents won’t find it funny if the free education ends now, I have enjoyed it it since I entered school since my 100 level now am in 400 level, how will I cope. “I really want to commend the governor for this free education and urge him not to stop it, and I think this re-validation form is a welcome development”.
 |
| SECURITY DETAILS AT THE VENUE |
WE ARE IMSUVILA, WE SPEAK IMSU