pvcOWERRI – Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo has declared Wednesday and Thursday work-free days to enable public servants in the state to collect their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).
Okorocha announced this while addressing principals, head teachers and teachers of public schools in Owerri, Imo State.
He said that the workers and other citizens, who were yet to collect their PVCs, would do so within the two-days to enable them to vote in the general elections.
He said that collection of the PVCs was the only way the people could defend democracy and safeguard the future of the state, and urged the electorate to vote and ensure that their votes counted.
Okorocha said that the meeting with the teachers was aimed at discussing the way forward for education, which he said, remained the major policy thrust of the state government.
He lauded the teachers for their inputs in ensuring the success of free education in the state.
He reminded them that they owed it a duty to give the students proper care just as government had met its obligations to workers through regular payment of salaries, pensions and promotions.
Okorocha said that for the first time, deserving teachers in the state were promoted to Level 17.
“All these and other welfare packages have made strike a forgotten issue in Imo,” he said.
He also said that government would introduce the production of raw materials by students to feed the agro-based industrial plants to be established in the state soon.
He called on teachers to prepare for the programme as well as deploy permanent teachers to every class for better coordination.
Okorocha also directed school heads to ensure that enough teachers were posted to all schools to meet with the increased students enrolment due to the free education programme.
He charged principals and head teachers to keep accurate attendance record of teachers under the “Youth Must Work” programme to ensure that only hardworking ones were paid.