The Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha has reiterated that his administration is committed to the promise of total free tuition for students, both indigenes and non-indegenes, schooling in the Imo State University.
The declaration of the free tuition on Tuesday appeared to have laid to rest every controversy trailing Governor Okorocha’s free education programme in Imo State.
While commissioning a student recreation park in the Imo State University premises in Owerri, the Imo State capital, the Governor reiterated that the best gift that could be given to a child “is education” and that his administration would remain committed to giving young people a better future by providing them the opportunity to go to school at no cost.
Governor Okorocha’s declaration of a ‘partial’ free tuition in 2012 was greeted with huge controversial statements from various people in the state especially as regards the 20,000 Naira acceptance levies billed on the students and some other levies which people say nullifies the free education programme.
At the commissioning of the recreation park, management, students of the university and indigenes of the state gathered to witness what they referred to as a remarkable event in the history of the institution.
The Vice-Chancellor of the Imo State University, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, enumerated some of the achievements the institution had made in terms of infrastructural development under Okorocha’s administration.
While addressing the students, Governor Okorocha emphasised that henceforth, students of the institution, both indigenes and non-indigenes, will cease to pay tuition fees including the acceptance fees, law dinner and every other fees that were formerly levied on the students.
However, there are exceptions to students benefit from the programme and some laid down rules for both lecturers and students in the fresh policy.
While commending the State Governor for the laudable achievement, the State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Professor Uba Nnabue, called on the students and staff of the institution to continue to support the rescue mission of the Okorocha led administration.
Before now, the state government, under the free education policy, pays 100,000 Naira tuition for students who are indigenes of Imo State and 50,000 Naira for non-indigenes, all with different levies which did not go down well with the students.
But with the new policy, all students, indigenes and non-indigenes, can now go to Imo State university at no cost.