The Senate in a plenary session today, passed first reading in a bill seeking to extend Federal Government’s free and compulsory education programme from the junior secondary school 3 to the senior secondary school 3.
The bill which was sponsored by the former Governor of Imo State, now Senator representing Imo west senatorial district, Rochas Okorocha.
In a statement by Okorocha , through his media office on Wednesday, said the bill when passed into law would ensure that Nigerian children are able to access qualitative education up to secondary school level.
The former Governor described the proposed legislation, tagged “Free Universal Education Act Amendment Bill” as people oriented bill, while noting that the Federal Government free education. Policy at the moment only captured those from primary to junior secondary school.
He expressed the hope that the bill would be given an accelerated hearing and subsequent assent by the executive.
According to the statement, Okorocha established the Rochas Foundation Colleges across most part of Nigeria even before he became Governor.
The senator, it was noted has been an advocate of equal access to qualitative education by all Nigerian and Africa countries.
It was added, in the statement that Okorocha was the first Nigerian governor to fully implement the free education policy across all levels of education during his time in office from 2011-2019.
