Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has inaugurated a 13-man State Education Trust Fund Committee to ensure that his administration’s free education programme lasts beyond his tenure as governor.
The committee chaired by Emma Ezeonyasi, an engineer, was
inaugurated on Monday, May 9, 2016.
Okorocha said that the essence of setting up the state Education Trust Fund Committee was for the sustainability of the free education programme beyond 2019 when he would be leaving as the governor of the state, adding that there should be need to institutionalize the policy in the overall interest of the state. His words: “As governor I am poised to see that the free education programme is sustained in the state beyond 2019. There is no greater gift you can give to a child than education. Education remains the pivot upon which the wheel of every success in life rotates. We must do everything as a people and government to keep the free education programme alive.
“In 2011 the poverty rate in the state was 57 percent, according to UNESCO. Four years after it came to 14 percent. This was made possible because most parents who were selling their valued possessions to pay the school fees of their children and wards do not sell them again since the introduction of free education. This is why the poverty rate in the state has drastically reduced. so, there is no going back on free education.”
According to the governor, “the lives of our children born and yet unborn are very important. So this is the time to secure the future of our children and children yet unborn by saving for their education. Every child must go to school and education must be made free so that the children of the poorest of the poor can go to school as we don’t know where the person who may change the face of the state or the nation will come from.”
He charged the committee members to leave no stone unturned in the realization of the goal for which they were chosen.
In his vote of thanks, the chairman of the committee, Emma Ezeonyeasi, assured that they would live up to expectation since they were called to serve the state and its people.
Meanwhile, As the World recently celebrated 2016 World Red Cross Day, the Deputy Governor of Imo State and the Chairman of Red Cross, Imo State chapter, Prince Eze Madumere, felicitated with members for their resolve to be life savers, describing the activities of the body as a way of life.
Madumere made the statements while interacting with the newsmen in commemoration of the day at his official residence in Owerri, Imo State.
Madumere reminded the public that Red Cross was primarily founded with a view to ensuring that conflicts must have acceptable rules with a view to reducing human suffering. He said that the body cares more about proactive measure of engagements rather than wait for outbreak of conflicts that may bring hardship to the people.
He disclosed that world Red Cross Day is also a day it’s founder Sir Jean Henry Dunant who was the first recipient of Noble Prize Laurette was born. He narrated Dunant’s sad experience during the battle of Solferino in Italy, which led to the suffering of the people and wanton destruction of lives while those who ought to be saved were left to die in excruciating pain.
He attributed the laws and rules protecting civilians and other personnel in times of conflict because of Geneva Convention, which he said could not have been possible without the activities of International Committee on Red Cross.
Madumere stressed that Red Crossers are World citizens who are volunteers for service, unified for one single purpose of saving lives and making world a better place, while caring less about race, tribe, religion, ideology or even political divides of a people. He also listed among others neutrality, independence, impartiality, universality and with primary aim of saving humanity as major principles of Red Cross.
He also disclosed their effort at opening up Red Cross across the schools in twenty-seven local governments of Imo State to keep them busy and teach the rudiments of first aides, what do to in times of dangerous incidences and general techniques in saving lives.