Imo State to arrest parents of kid-hawkers

Imo State to arrest parents of kid-hawkers

Imo state Governor,  Rochas Okorocha, yesterday read the riot act against parents who send their children of school age to hawk wares on the street instead of going to school.

Also to be arrested and prosecuted are parents and guardians in the State who refuse to send their Children and wards of School age to School.

The Imo governor said that parents in the state have no reason to keep their children and wards out of School.

He said that the policy has been okayed by the State House of Assembly.

The governor who  made the speech at the 7th Anniversary of the free education programme, said that the programme “has become a huge success today”.

According to him,  “my desire is to see that every child of Imo must be educated. I see education as life itself. Hence, I was propelled to introduce free education at all levels. My joy knows no bound that if I finish as governor today, I would have fulfilled my heart desire of eradicating illiteracy in the State”.

The governor also revealed that there has been an explosion in School enrolment in the State because of free education.

He disclosed enrollment into schools in the state “has risen from 280,000 in 2011 to more than One Million in 2017”.

The governor  called on well-meaning Nigerians  to come to the State and build tertiary institutions.

He said, “my greatest gift to Imo people is free education, especially on this lovers’ day. Today, we have built three more Universities, more Polytechnics and Colleges of education. We shall continue to invest in that direction so that hundreds of thousands of our Children always denied admissions every year even when they meet all the requirements can be taken care of.

“Imo State has the  population to fill as many Universities as possible. In Imo our greatest industry is education. We have also begun to make Schools in the rural areas attractive. The Science Laboratories are going to be fully equipped before the end of May. We have three Commissioners for education because of the importance we attach to it”.

The governor added that “it is my desire to have a successor that will sustain free education and not the one that will give excuses. Teachers and Head Schools must continue to be encouraged. They should also fight the use of illicit drugs like Indian hemp in their Schools. The quality of education in the State is high”.

The Registrar of Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria Professor, Josiah Adewole described Governor Okorocha as a heavy investor in human capital with the free education in Imo and that he is investing for generations yet unborn with the policy, adding that Imo is leading on issue of education in the Country.

He said Imo teachers are not being owed salary and that was why he opted to attend the function, stating that he would not have come if teachers in the State were being owed salary.

Chairman of the event Prof. Uba Nnabue urged the elite in the State to convert their criticisms into actions by going to the Schools as individuals to invest, adding that what Governor Okorocha needs is encouragement and not undue criticisms.

Highlight of the event was the handing over of the Cheque of N13.7m to one of the beneficiaries of the free education programme, Dr. George Ekenze who emerged the overall best Student at the  Imo State University in 2016 to pursue his Master’s degree in the United Kingdom.

He was given automatic employment into the state civil service.

A teacher also won a KIA Saloon Car, while many others won television sets and other items.