It’s not true —  Commissioner

By Chinonso Alozie

Owerri—Beneficiaries of the free education policy of Imo State government at the tertiary level have pleaded with Governor Rochas Okorocha to launch investigation into the alleged extortion by community leaders expected to append their signatures in the free education form.

Some of the students, who spoke to Vanguard, yesterday, in Owerri, on the grounds of anonymity, said that in most cases, the community leaders delayed in signing their forms for not allegedly ‘settling’ them .

Chief Rochas Okorocha

They also alleged that some of the community heads, who they described as the Government Liason Officers, State Development Committee, that were supposed to append their signatures in the form went as far as being “incommunicado” and difficult to be seen in their offices” just to “punish” those who did not dance to their tune.

Some of the local government areas mentioned that have strings of problems in the signing of the free education forms, include Oru East, Orlu, Owerri West, Owerri North, Obowo, Okigwe, Mbaitoli, Onuimo, Owerri Municipal, among others.

Contacted on phone, the state Commissioner for Information, Tourism and Public Utilities, Mr. Obinna Nshirim, said: “It  is not true. You know that people dwell so much on rumour. The intention of the free education of the government is sincere and it is to help Imo people acquire better and standard education. So the free education is for the betterment of the state and the people. Don’t listen to the false allegations.”