By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
Kinsmen of Gov. Charles Soludo of Anambra state under the umbrella of Old Aguata Union (OAU), Awka branch, have lamented what they describe as a rip-off of primary and post primary school children even when government has announced free education in the state.
The union comprising Aguata, Orumba North and Orumba South council areas of the state, made the lamentation at the 2022 Talk Shop/Summit and launching of its maiden Almanac in Awka, Anambra state capital, on Wednesday.
Chairman of the branch, Comrade Chukwuema Onwuegbuna said, “the union believed that there is no real development without the development of citizens.
“This informed our theme for this year’s summit ‘Human Capital Development in Old Aguata Union, the way forward.’
“We therefore, call on our people to partner with the state government to extend the existing basic scholarship to government secondary schools, privately owned schools and promulgate policies that will stop all fees legal and illegal being collected from parents so that the free education will actually be free.”
Former Vice Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), and National President of the Union, Prof. Paul Orajiaka noted that the heavy fees and levied being collected from parents is not only in public or private schools, but also in mission schools.
He contended that the government policy of free education is not so in real sense, noting that government should stem the rip-off of unsuspecting parents.
The Head Of Department of Electrical Engineering University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Cajetan Maduabuchukwu while presenting a talk on Human Capital Development noted that the development index in every society or country is made up of health and education.
He posited that for any country or society to achieve optimal Human Capital Development, it must invest in developing the primary and secondary health services as well as ensuring quality education at the primary and post primary levels.
