Imo Stops Grants To Varsities, Sept.

Governor Rochas Okrocha of Imo State has said that the State Government would stop giving subventions to all the state-owned tertiary institutions from September.

Okorocha said this while launching the free education programme of the State Government for primary, secondary and tertiary education in Owerri.

The governor said he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri and Imo Polytechnic, Umuagwo, to enable them to be self-sustaining from next academic year.

He, however, said that under the MoU, government would clear the N504 million outstanding salaries owed to IMSU staff and continue to give the university N254 million monthly subventions till September.

According to him, as from September, the institutions will be expected to generate revenues from school fees and other sources for their operations.

The governor said he would pay N100,000 school fees for every Imo indigene studying in IMSU and the polytechnic.

Okorocha said that government was taking statistics of Imo indigenes studying in other universities in the country with a view to paying their bursary at a date to be announced.

Our correspondent reports that students of IMSU would now pay N30,000 school fees while primary and secondary schools remain free.