• To prosecute defaulting parents, guardians

The Abia state government has said all students, irrespective of their states of origin, will receive free education up to the secondary school level, starting from January 2025. The free education will run from primary one to Junior Secondary School three in all public schools.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing the press after the State Executive Council meeting. He said that parents and guardians who flouted the new policy would face prosecution.

He said from January 2025, parents and guardians who fail to send their children or wards to school will face legal consequences. Kanu emphasised that non-compliance with the education directive will be treated as a punishable offence.

“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 the Government has made education free and compulsory,” Kanu warned.

The policy, according to him, is pursuant to the quest by the Governor Alex Otti-led administration, to deliver quality and affordable education to the state.

“There is no reason whatsoever why parents should not send their children to school,” he said.

“The issue of indigency is no longer the reason for non-acquisition of free and basic education in Abia State.

Also, he 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. He explained that the decision was taken in the overall public interest.

He also disclosed that the 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”.