In a significant move to ensure universal access to education, the Abia State government has announced that parents who fail to send their children to school will face prosecution beginning January 1, 2025. This decision, confirmed by the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, comes as part of Governor Alex Otti’s ongoing reforms to elevate Abia’s educational sector.
Kanu, while addressing journalists at the Government House in Umuahia, emphasized that the state’s free-education policy now removes any financial barriers to primary and junior secondary schooling, leaving no excuse for parents to neglect their children’s basic education. The enforcement will be based on the Abia State Child’s Law of 2006, which mandates the right of every child to an education.
“Education is free in Abia State up to Junior Secondary School. From January 2025, failing to send children to school will be punishable by law,” said Kanu, stressing the government’s commitment to creating a literate, skilled, and empowered generation.
In a related directive, Governor Otti has ordered immediate attention to infrastructural issues, including the failing Osisioma flyover, where the Commissioner for Works has been tasked to ensure rapid repairs to guarantee the safety of commuters.
The Commissioner also reiterated the relocation of the Umuahia campus of Abia State University to its main campus in Uturu, assuring that stakeholder concerns will be addressed. However, the relocation decision is irreversible, highlighting the state’s focus on strengthening educational structures.
