I read with interest Luke Onyekakeya’s treatise in The Guardian of Tuesday, 28 June, 2011, titled “Making the Imo free education work”. I really learnt a lot from that piece, especially the first paragraph that almost described education as the only guarantee to one’s economic, political and social survival. He writes, “Education is power and those who have power control everything”. Onyekakeya drew inference to the Japanese who had education and have become great businessmen as against the Igbo who engage in buying and selling but lack education only to watch their business empire collapse overnight due to external forces they could not influence. He hailed Governor Okorocha for slashing the security votes of top government officials, and for realizing that no meaningful peace and security can be guaranteed where majority of the youths are illiterate. Onyekakeya however expressed his apprehension on the workability of this good idea, proposing that there should be proper census of students and where they came from; auditing of schools and checks on school children flocking into Imo from neighbouring states (hence restriction of the gesture to only Imo children). He also posited that it should not only end on free education but quality education where the learning environment is upgraded and teachers re-trained.
Having had the opportunity to listen to the Imo governor speak in several fora on his agenda on education and having witnessed the Imo maiden Executive Council briefing where an aide to the governor unfolded the government’s agenda, I wish to stand on a vantage position to explain some posers raised by Onyekakeya.
In the first place, the current Imo government is not only aiming at achieving free education. Rather, amidst other pressing human demands like agriculture, sanitation, infrastructural development, workers’ welfare, etc, it is focusing head-on to rescue urgently three key areas – education, health and security. In the maiden council meeting, government announced that it has disbursed N100 million to each of the 27 local government areas (LGAs) in the state for the renovation of schools ahead of the new academic session in September. It was also announced that schools in the rural areas with less than 300 pupils/students would be merged with nearby ones except where the next schools are beyond 20 minutes walk for the children; and those in urban areas must have up to 500 pupils/students. In addition, there would be upgrading of schools with effective library and laboratory facilities, free books and uniforms for the children, including proper verification of teachers and re-training of efficient ones. The Rescue Mission is targeting the batch-by-batch disbursement of N500million to every LGA for upgrading of schools within the shortest possible time.
On health, the government is unfolding a rapid-response health team tagged “health at your doorstep”, comprising medical doctors, nurses and other health personnel equipped with ambulances, medical kits, drugs and communication gadgets to be stationed at the premises of the defunct development centres scattered throughout the state. This is merely a small unit of health reform which includes upgrading of a General Hospital to a tertiary health institution in every senatorial zone of the state and two hospitals to reputable standard in each LGA of the state. Moreover, a new security outfit comprising army, police and Civil Defence would be camped at same defunct development centres to respond to security challenges in the neighbourhood.
At this juncture, let me return to address Onyekakeya’s anxiety. Onyekakeya has already reeled out the need for free education. Therefore, I would not bother to mention reasons why Okorocha is giving free education to Imo. Just to add that Imo State government is extending its free education to any child attending its public schools. And it is not unaware of the possibility of families relocating to Imo and children from neighbouring states flooding Imo schools as it would extend this gesture to all, provided these families pay rent and tax in Imo and buy their food and wares in the state markets. The governor himself had allayed these fears postulating that if any state would restrict its free education programme, it would not be Imo, considering that 60% of Imo citizens live outside the state and enjoy much of the largesse of these states. And free education would bring our people back home, add more non-indigenes to the population of the state and hence boost the economy of the state.
Free education in Imo requires just commitment and a little cut in the wasteful expenses of government to save a petty sum to guarantee the future of the young ones. Yes, Okorocha had announced the cutting of security votes from N6.5billion to N2.5billion. He had earlier dedicated his four-year salary to free education and asked his aides to give part of their allowances. While addressing a gathering of traditional rulers in Owerri recently, the governor had informed them that free education must work, adding that he would soon access N4billion from the Education Trust fund and is saving N150million daily meant for governor’s food, champagne and guests. These revelations are hitherto top secrets shielded from public knowledge. He further said, “If my security votes a month is N850 million and I go to a class and see children learning on the bare floor, God will judge me. We’ll re-organize our primary and secondary schools and re-train our teachers to add quality to the free education programme of this administration”. He is really passionate about securing the future of the young ones as he had pledged not to stuff his pockets with government funds but rather to let tomorrow mention his name as one who sweated and bled for others to live.
Owelle Rochas Okorocha had done it before even as a private person. Now he has the entire wherewithal as a governor to extend it to every child residing in Imo. Educating a child is not too expensive, especially when it is channelled collectively to thousands of them while the gains are not quantifiable. All it demands is for those at the helm of affairs to feel the pulse of the very impressionable young ones who could not determine their future themselves. I thank Onyekakeya for his concerns and wish to conclude with his quote, “The truth is that if the lgboman had added education to his business acumen, the South-East would have been a showcase for the rest of Nigeria to copy”. Imo must show them the way.
Okafor wrote in from Owerri, Imo State
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