The much anticipated return of the Law Faculty of Abia State University (ABSU) from Umuahia to its main campus in Uturu is set to take place at the end of the First semester, precisely by June 2025.
The announcement was made by the Abia State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu while briefing Journalists on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting, presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
According to the Commissioner, the planned movement had previously faced delays due to logistics, procedural requirements, and accreditation processes from the National Universities Commission (NUC) and relevant professional bodies.
Prince Kanu noted that additionally, some students had pending examinations, which prompted the State Government to delay the move in the interest of the students.
“As a thinking Government and one that listens to it’s citizens, the Government needed to get through with that process and now that they have completed that process, the movement back to Uturu will commence unhindered precisely by June 2025″, the Commissioner started.
He revealed that the ABSU has admitted 6,042 fresh students into its first-year programs, marking a 48% increase from last year’s intake of 4,196 students.
The Commissioner noted that admission quotas for professional courses such as Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Nursing were strictly adhered to adding that it reflects the type of governance and administrative discipline in the State’s Educational System under the present administration.
Prince Kanu also reiterated the State Government’s commitment to free and compulsory Education across the state.
The Commissioner emphasized that pupils in Primary Schools and Students up to Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3) are not required to pay any fees, including PTA and sports levies.
He disclosed that Heads of Schools are being paid Monthly impress with which to run their schools and as such, do not have any need whatsoever to charge parents fees under any guise.
The Commissioner encouraged members of the public, parents, students to report any cases of default to the appropriate authorities.
“The State Government wishes to reiterate the fact that free compulsory Education policy is up and running and will be implemented to the fullest across the length and breath of the state.
“As announced in the past, pupils in Primary Schools and Students up to Junior Secondary School 3 are not supposed to pay any type of fees whatsoever, be they PTA fees, sports fees and so on.
“The heads of schools are being paid monthly impress with which to run their schools and as such, they don’t have any need whatsoever to charge parents fees under any guise.
“By this announcement, members of the public, parents, students are encouraged to report any cases of default in this regard to the appropriate authorities”, he said.
Prince Kanu revealed that the ongoing Teacher’s recruitment exercise has reached its next phase, with shortlisted candidates set to take a Computer-Based Test (CBT) on March 6th and 7th.
The Commissioner further revealed that the tests will be conducted across the three Senatorial zones of the State, adding that successful candidates would proceed to the final interview stage.
He assured the public that the recruitment process would be conducted with utmost transparency to ensure only the most qualified candidates are selected.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi said that the essence of the shift with a day for the CBT was to enable Government fix some challenges noticed especially in locating CBT centres across the state.
He said that the CBT centres would be 2 centres per senatorial zone , adding that government wants to use tomorrow (4th) to fix the challenges observed including identification of CBT centres where the candidates would take the exams.
Answering questions from newsmen, the General Manager Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), Mr Ogbonnia Okereke said ASEPA and Ministry of Environment are working together to deliver on Government mandate of keeping Abia environment clean and healthy, adding that a big recycling company is setting up a plastic recycling plant in Aba which would be commissioned on the 2025 World Recycling Day holding on the 18th of March 2025.
He said the State is partnering many organizations to set up similar processing and recycling plants in the State as well as “transmitting from linear economy to circular economy in the area of Waste Management”.
The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Uche Emeh Uche and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma were present during the briefing.
