Abia Assembly knocks Private Schools for compelling parents to buy customized textbooks
Abia State House of Assembly has passed a resolution directing its Committee on Education to invite the Commissioner for Basic Education, the leadership of ASUBEB and other related functionaries for interaction on the current lucrative business of sales and use of customized text and exercise books in schools.
According to the Abia State House of Assembly, the current trend is to the detriment of parents and the society at large
The Speaker of the Abia parliament, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, who announced the resolution during plenary, said that serious attention was to be beamed on the activities of the operators of institutions where the future generations are groomed.
The Speaker added that the Committee has two weeks within which to report back to the House.
The resolution followed a motion on the use of customized text and exercise books in private schools in Abia State, brought before the House by the member representing Aba Central, Hon. Stephen Ucheonye.
Hon. Ucheonye had, through his motion, alleged that some proprietors of schools sell books at exorbitant prices and make it impossible for any two persons to make use of one text book.
He called on the House to intervene and halt the continued extortion of parents and guardians in the state.
The House also passed a resolution directing its committee on health to invite the Commissioner for Health, the Proprietor of City Gate Mortuary Umuahia and any other such mortuary whose activities are considered to be negatively affecting the public, to appear before the House for an interaction.
This followed a matter of urgent public importance presented to the House by the member representing Isiala Ngwa North State constituency, Hon. Chief Ugochukwu Collins Iheonunekwu (OCHAKE) on the alleged nuisance being constituted on daily basis along Aba Road area of Umuahia.
Hon. Iheonunekwu argued that urgent steps should be taken to address the activities of the mortuary and others operating in the same manner in Abia State.
The House at plenary also passed a resolution urging the State government through the Commissioner for Health, to urge the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, deploy medical doctors and other relevant medical personnels to the Sustainable Development Multipurpose Hospital in Ugwunagbo.
This, according to the House, is to take care of the health concerns of patients who visit the hospital in their numbers for medical solutions.
The resolution was sequel to a matter of Urgent Public Importance brought before the House by the member representing Ugwunagbo State Constituency, Hon. Chijioke Uruakpa.