Abia State governor, Alex Otti has banned all forms of payment in primary and secondary schools, marking the enforcement of compulsory attendance for children of school age.
The governor introduced an imprest account system for principals and headteachers to manage the running of schools, with specific monthly allowances for their operations.
Otti made this announcement in his New Year speech on Wednesday, stating that “We have stopped all forms of payments in primary and secondary schools. Not even PTA levies should be charged in any public school.
“We have introduced an imprest account system for the running of schools. Headteachers and principals are entitled to specific sums every month to manage the day-to-day operations of their schools.
“There is, therefore, no excuse to extort or deny any child the opportunities that come with learning and enlightenment. We shall be strict with enforcement and it will be a grievous mistake to test our will.”
The governor also emphasised the state’s commitment to enforce compulsory attendance for children of school age in schools across Abia.
He added that his administration is set to allocate 35 percent of the entire budget to interventions in the education and health sectors.
Otti said, “We shall fast-track efforts to remake our schools into centres of excellence in effective teaching and learning.
“As you may know, the law mandating all children of school age to be in school comes into effect today. As soon as the new school term begins later in the month, it will be unlawful to find any child outside the walls of the classroom during school hours.”
The governor also shared his administration’s urgency to build systems, rebuild the state and realign governance priorities to reflect the true aspirations of the people.
“We have since evolved a system that prioritises the needs of the downtrodden by paying attention, listening carefully and channelling public resources to where they yield the highest social and economic dividends to the majority by taking on very difficult but economically and socially significant projects in road infrastructure, health and education, waste management and environmental recoveries,” he said.
Governor Otti reiterated the state’s focus on security, warning that his government would not hesitate to deploy its full might against any individual or group posing a threat to the safety of residents.
“We shall also continue to prioritise the security of lives and property, adopting the necessary measures to keep criminals and their sponsors out of the state. Again, I would like to restate that we shall not hesitate to deploy the full might of government against any individual or group whose activities pose a threat to the safety of our people,” he emphasised.
