Traders at Oye-Agu Market in Abagana and Eke Awka Market in Awka celebrated the free education policy of Governor Chukwuma Soludo during a recent sensitization exercise led by Professor Nkechi Ikediugwu, Chairman of the Post Primary Schools Service Commission (PPSSC). The initiative, dubbed “Catch-And-Send-Them-To-School-For-Free,” aimed to raise awareness and encourage compliance with the state’s education policies.
Accompanied by officers from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Anambra Command, as well as officials from the PPSSC, Professor Ikediugwu rescued several child hawkers and barrow pushers, enrolling them in local schools to ensure they receive the education they deserve. Many of the children apprehended were found to be of primary and secondary school age, with some living with parents and others with guardians.
In a heartfelt address to the principals and headteachers of Nnamdi Azikiwe Secondary School in Abagana, Kenneth Dike Secondary School, and Ikwodiaku Primary School in Awka, Professor Ikediugwu emphasized the importance of registering these students free of charge and ensuring their consistent attendance. She urged school officials to collect contact information from the children’s parents and guardians, expressing her dismay that many children were still found hawking instead of attending school, despite the government’s free education initiative.
Among the rescued children were Chiamaka and Onyedika Okwe and Chisom Joseph, who cited financial difficulties as a primary reason for their absence from school.
Traders and local security personnel, including Mrs. Adaeze Nnanna, Mr. Freedom Onah, and Mr. Chika Ekene, praised the initiative but expressed concern that, despite the free education policy, some parents and guardians were not prioritizing their children’s education. They appealed to the PPSSC to continue the sensitization efforts and rescue programs, highlighting the alarming number of out-of-school children in market areas across the state.
