Governor Rochas Okorocha impending resolve to remove free education programme started in June 2011, would soon begin to force further down the state’s already appalling educational performance.
In the past few years, despite the much-touted ‘free’ education, Imo has continued to slip to the bottom rung of states’ performances in Nigeria’s educational ladder, down from many decades of enjoying topmost position
According to Governor Okorocha, who is now tinkering with virtually every aspect of Imo’s socio-economic and political existence in the name of ‘rescue mission’, the removal of the free education would ease-off the heavy financial burden the state has been grappling with, amid poor management of the state economy under his watch.
He spoke about the planned free education removal weekend while addressing journalists at his 100 hectare sprawling estate at Spibat area of Owerri; informing that the attitude of most Imolites (Imo people) indicated that they did not appreciate his administration’s gesture in that regard.
Imo is said to be spending between N4 billion and N6 billion annually to provide free tuition, uniform, sandals, socks and books to some 800,000 children studying in the state-owned primary and secondary schools; and an additional N100,000 per student at the state’s tertiary institutions – the Imo State University, Owerri and Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo. However, the amount comes with compulsory payment of about N70,000 acceptance fee by a benefitting student.
Governor Okorocha had severally touted that he gave-up his ‘Security Vote’ of N4 billion to provide funding for the free education programme. Security Vote is some unexplained spending window by most Nigerian governors and presidents. They often said fleetingly that the Constitution allowed it.
Observers are seeing the Okorocha impending policy somersault as going to worsen things for hundreds of thousands of parents in the state, who have already been hamstrung by Okorocha’s atrocious decision of non-payment of salaries and pensions to thousands of civil servants and pensioners. Till date, about 4,000 civil servants in the state run parastatals are being owed many months of unpaid salaries, under the guise of privatization and/or commercialisation of the agencies.
He told journalists on Saturday that his administration, apart from supporting the free education, it had built many schools (government figures said 305) to absorb teeming pupils who have enrolled due to the free education.
But many have seen that the schools as far from being completed, years after they were said to have been started.
The governor also said he was currently undertaking urban renewal programme in Owerri metropolis, to expand the city’s major urban roads into eight-lane arteries. The move has seen several hundreds of people’s structures demolished by the government’s bulldozers. But Governor Okorocha he pulled down only fences, not buildings.
He said he aims to make Owerri a modern city, looking like similar state capitals capable of attracting visitors; adding that he would continue with the exercise, which has been highly criticized by Imolites, on account of its timing – with heavy rains pouring daily – which many said it would undermine the strength of the emerging 8-lane roads.
