By Onyekachi Eze
Following the inability of the Imo State Governor, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha to make an official pronouncement on his educational policy, after the inauguration speech, there is fear of the unknown in the state especially among tertiary institution students of state owned institutions who had been benefitting from the partial tuition free system from the immediate past regime.
Ihedioha had on inauguration day while addressing the people made mentioned of a review of the “so called Free Education” the immediate past government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha operated.
Trumpeta noticed that while the new administration has delved into other controversial sectors like market development, recovery of government property and other issues, nothing has been said about the so called Free Education.
It was also observed that while appointments for aides have been made on other critical sectors an adviser, commissioner or assistant on education has not also been appointed fueling more worries of what would be the next line of action of the new administration with regards to the free education especially at the tertiary level.
The suspense about the approach of Ihedioha to education policy is heightened by the fast approaching next session which commences in September. With schools observing their last term and final semester, September which is two months ahead for resumption of schools is fast approaching.
Parents and students are engrossed with unknown future about what to do since Ihedioha is yet to make official pronouncement on education policy with regards to the free education style he met on ground, left behind by Okorocha.
It would be recalled that during Chief Ikedi Ohakim’s administration, students of Imo State paid N50,000 as tuition, while non indigenes paid N80,000.
When Okorocha came onboard, in the name of free education, students were paying N50,000 for acceptance fee, N19, 500 for ancillary fee, but recently was increased to N29, 500.
While most people strongly believed in the so called free education, others saw it as the best policy ever promulgated by Rochas Okorocha.
