Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia
All final year students in secondary schools within Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Abia State, will register for the 2020 WAEC examination free of charge, as the House of Representatives member representating the constituency, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has undertaken to bear the cost.
She announced the gesture to the relief of SS3 students and their parents/guardians while handing over trophy to winners of the Hon. Nkeiru Onyejeocha annual football competition at Peace Comprehension School, Amuda, Isuochi.
According to her, “this is the way I want to stop our youths from leaving secondary schools without WAEC certificate.”
Onyejeocha, who is the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, stressed that only prospective WAEC candidates in all public schools in the constituency would benefit from the free examination fees.
According to her, parents who put their children/wards in private schools could presumably afford WAEC fees hence her decision to take off the financial burden off parents whose children are in public schools.
The federal lawmaker further stated that the gesture would be limited to indigent students in subsequent years.
In order to determine the number of expected beneficiaries and the cost implication, Onyejeocha said she had already directed school principals to supply to her office the list of WAEC candidates in their respective institutions.
Meanwhile, Onyejeocha has advised widows to enroll their children in public schools instead of incurring unnecessary financial burden by patronising private schools
She gave the advice while distributing empowerment items to widows, saying that it is better for poor families to give their children affordable education in public schools instead if giving them away as house helps.
“It is better you stay with your children and send them to community schools where they will be safe than to give them away to those who will turn them to slaves in townships.
“Some of us also attended village schools despite their obvious challenges and today those who were trained in private schools in the city are not better than us,” she stated.
The lawmaker regretted that many children from poor families have ended up in wrong hands after human traffickers had deceived the poor mothers, especially widows with promises of giving them better education in the cities.
She pointed out that children given away by parents usually end up as slaves in homes of city dwellers, who would subject the hapless children to all kinds of inhuman treatments, including child labour.
