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Friday 10 February 2012

Imo free education gets a boost

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Imo free education gets a boost

An industrialist based in the United Kingdom, Aloysius Ihezie, has donated one million text and other educational books to the Imo State Government to boost its free education programme.






Aloysius Ihezie, who is the Managing Director of Choice Textile Limited in London, said the gesture was to underscore the importance and value he attaches to education.

While presenting the bill of lading to Governor Okorocha in Government

House recently, Victor Ihezie, the book Project Director, referred to comments made by Per Engebak, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa in which he stated that "no other investment has such a lasting effect as the education of children. Children who go to school are healthier, more self-assured and have far better prospects of employment. And of course, education has a major role to play in the fight against HIV."
Another report by the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) stated that ".....Nigeria is home to the largest number of children out of school (8.6 million in 2007) and is forecast to have as many as 8.3million children still not in school by 2015."
In the South Eastern states the increasing boy–child dropout rate is a serious concern and one which will have a detrimental impact on the future growth of the region.
Such disturbing figures lead Aloysius Ihezie to explain his decision to donate between two to three million textbooks in total over a five year period and to present these books to the children and students of Eastern Nigeria as one of the ways to confront the problems facing child education.
Aloysius Ihezie added that Choice’s Project Director from Mgbidi in Oru West Local Government Area would work closely with the state government to ensure the efficient management of the operation on the ground from the safe collection and movement of the books from Onne, Port Harcourt Seaport, to the warehousing, sorting and eventual distribution of the books to schools and communities throughout the state. It was confirmed that nine containers having approximately 350,000 books had already arrived at Onne Port.
Aloysius Ihezie further stressed that his over-riding interest is to support a programme that will help lift children out of poverty and ignorance and be of lasting benefit to future generations.
Responding, Governor Rochas Okorocha expressed his gratitude to Mr. Ihezie and his company for the generous donation to the free education programme of Imo Rescue Mission.
The governor urged other well-meaning Imo people to follow the example of Ihezie by contributing to the free education and other people-oriented programmes initiated by his government.





At the official launch in London Ambassador Dozie Nwanna, Deputy Nigerian High Commissioner, Dr Eric Uzoalor representing Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mr Ngozi Njoku, Director-General, Imo Foundation and Hon. Donatus Ozoemena, Deputy Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, were present to accept the books on behalf of the state government.
SOURCE: The Nation, 10 February 2012. http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/

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