As Schools Resumes, Uzodinma’s long silence, over the ongoing free education started by the former Governor of Imo state, Senator Rochas Okorocha, appears to have put the beneficiary students in suspense, as well as the new ones who passed the recent JAMB exams and are waiting for the admission.
Governor Hope Uzodinma had upon assumption of office on January 2020, gave his nod for the continuation of the panel set up by the Ihedioha led administration on the education system in Imo, particularly as it concerned the much talked about and controversial free education scheme, founded by former Governor Rochas Okorocha.
Uzodinma’s nod for the said panel, set up by Ihedioha to continue with their investigation, was appreciated by the majority of Imo people who described the act of Uzodinma, as the action of a person who is not just prepared to govern the state, but one with an understanding that government is indeed a continuum and as such, should be seen and treated as such.
However, investigations revealed that Students particularly those in the Tertiary Institutions in Imo, have their hopes of the ongoing free education hangs in the balance, as Imo state Government is yet to say anything about the free education in Imo, whether it would be scraped or not particularly when the panel set up by Ihedioha, which received Uzodinma’s nod had months ago submitted their reports to Governor Uzodinma’s led administration.
The education panel chaired by Professor Nebo had a few months ago, submitted their report to Governor Uzodinma to carry out.
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As contained in the report, the panel, in summary, informed Imo people and the state Government in particular, that the said free education in Imo as a is a scam pointing out that nothing as such ever existed in Imo.
This report, which as at the time of filing this report, had not been implemented by the executive, was greeted with varying reactions and opinions by Imo people.
While some believed the report of the panel to scrape the said free education, initiated by Okorocha on the grounds that the said beneficiaries were still subjected to pay all the said fees at the points of clearances, others were of the view that Governor Uzodinma should work on it, by making the scheme indeed free and not the other way round.
Speaking with the Newspaper, a law student in Imo state University who gave her name as Ngozi Opara, revealed that Uzodinma’s silence on the said free education has not stopped giving students sleepless nights, as students are not certain and sure of the next plan of the Governor towards the said free education program, even when schools are to resume for the new academic session.
In the same manner, another student of mass communication, Chioma Osuigwe said, that confusion has engulfed the reasoning of the students following Uzodinma’s silence on the free education program in Imo.
Meanwhile, a source from the Government House revealed that sooner than later, the Government would make public its decision on the said free education in the state.
The same source further hinted that Government would scrap the so-called free education, which according to the report of the panel, never existed, but would reintroduce school fees but this time around would be very minimal and affordable to the poorest so that no Imo person would give a monetary excuse as a reason why he or she drops out of the school or did not go to school.
This, as gathered that is was one of the major reasons, why Uzodinma forfeited his security.
