Otti bans school levies in Abia — News — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

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Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has revoked payment of levies in primary and secondary schools to enforce compulsory school attendance for children of school age.

Otti announced in his New Year speech on Wednesday that the executive order banning extortion of pupils in the guise of fees, by some principals, head teachers, and other school officials takes effect immediately after resumption.

The governor also introduced an imprest account system for the running of schools. Headteachers and school principals are now entitled to specific sums every month for managing the day-to-day operations of their schools.

“We have stopped all forms of payments in primary and secondary schools. Not even PTA levies should be charged to any parent or guardian in any public school in the state,” he said.

Otii hinted that there is no more excuse to deny any child the opportunities that come with learning and enlightenment, adding that his administration shall be strict with enforcement and warned that it would be a grievous mistake for anyone to test the will of his administration.

The governor maintained that his administration was set to allocate 35 per cent of the entire budget to interventions in the education and health sectors in his quest to turn schools into centers of excellence in effective teaching and learning.

He told parents that the law mandating all children of school age to be in school every school day comes into effect as soon as the new school term begins in January.

He warned that it would be unlawful to find any child outside the walls of the classroom during school hours.

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 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 the government against any individual or group whose activities pose a threat to the safety of our people,” he said.





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