Imo Assembly okays bill on free education fund

THE 26-member Imo State House of Assembly presided over by Benjamin Uwajimogu at the weekend in Owerri passed the Imo Free Education Endowment Fund Bill.

Already, the state government is running a free education programme for all pupils and students of public primary and secondary schools.

The bill was passed after deliberations at committee and whole House levels, specifying 17 provisions to enable it operate.

The bill, which clean copy will be sent to Governor Rochas Okorocha for his assent, sets out a provision for trustees with corporate status to either sue or be sued. Donors and philanthropists would donate to the fund for the free education programme going on in Imo State.

It further provided that the governor has the statutory right to appoint the chairman and body of trustees to run it, adding that among the body of trustees, the Commissioners for Education and Finance, Secretary to the State Government and officials of compulsory education authority, one philanthropist, seasoned educationist, serving or retired from each of the three geo-political zones of Imo State – Okigwe, Orlu and Owerri, will be involved.

The bill also provided that if any of the appointed members is found wanting in the area of the management of funds, he or she would be tried according to the extant laws on corrupt practices.

Meanwhile, the authorities of Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri have approved the extension from 18 to 25 days as the period any of their dead members could stay for burial.

Also, the archdiocese has passionately appealed to the Imo State government to extend its free education programme offered to children in public primary and secondary schools to mission schools under it to save the community the problems already encountered because of the disparity in the implementation since a few months it came into implementation.

Disclosing this at the weekend during his opening address at the Pastoral Council meeting held in Owerri, Imo State capital, the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastic Province, Dr. Anthony J. V. Obinna, noted that though there had been considerable compliance with the hitherto 18 days period for 10 years, the extension became necessary to assist those whose relations were abroad to give them enough time to return home and participate in the burial of their loved ones.

Obinna said: “Having weighed the inconveniences caused particularly on those whose relations have to come from outside our country, from today, we hereby change the 18-day limit to 25 days. It may not solve everybody’s problem”. He, however, advised that such families should not wait until the 25th day.

On his appeal for free education to be extended to mission schools, he said: “One area of current governance in Imo State that is throwing up a problem and challenge for our Catholic schools is that of free education. While we appreciate this offer of free education, which eliminates school fees for parents, we as citizens of Imo and special stakeholders in the state and in Imo parish, expect that the benefit of free education should also apply to the children in the church-run schools so as to minimise, if not eliminate, the school fees paid by parents in our own schools”.

He appealed that the state government could reduce or eliminate the tension occasioned in some communities by coming to their aid.

“The failure so far to apply such benefit to Catholic schools in Imo State particularly to the mission schools returned under the previous regime has already generated problems and tension in some of our communities in this archdiocese and in other dioceses of Imo State. We hope that the challenge thrown up by the free education offer will be equitably resolved for the overall good of our state”, he said.

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By Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri