The Abia State Government has issued a stern warning to school heads and principals found collecting illegal fees, promising severe sanctions, including potential job termination, for those undermining the state’s free education policy.
Prince Okey Kanu, the Commissioner for Information, emphasized during a recent briefing that the government’s commitment to free education from primary school to junior secondary school remains firm.
“Education is free from primary to junior secondary three in all public schools across the state,” Kanu said. He also clarified that students in Senior Secondary School (SS1 to SS3) are required to pay only a reduced fee of N3,300.
“Principals and school heads who engage in the illegal collection of fees and levies will face heavy sanctions, including possibly losing their jobs,” Kanu warned.
He further stressed that the government has implemented a system to provide imprest funds for routine school expenses, leaving no justification for these illegal actions.
The state has also made strides in its teacher recruitment process. Kanu disclosed that 7,000 applicants were shortlisted and interviewed as part of an ongoing reform in the education sector.
“We are training about 2,200 teachers across the state to enhance teaching quality and improve learning outcomes in our public schools,” he said.
In addition to its educational reforms, the Abia State Government is set to launch a new economic policy aimed at promoting locally-made products.
“We are making it possible that all goods and services obtainable in the state would be procured locally,” Kanu revealed. He explained that the policy was a strategic response to the economic challenges facing both the national and global markets.
The government also highlighted its efforts to boost the local economy and create jobs through the promotion of indigenous products, particularly handmade Akwete fabric.
“We are deliberate about the management of our local economy to boost the production of goods and services responsible for the health of the state’s economy,” Kanu concluded.