The Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Mr Somtochukwu Udeze has assured the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) that its law would be domesticated in the state in May, next month.
The speaker said this during an advocacy and sensitisation visit to the State held at headquarters of Post Primary Schools Service Commission (PPSSC) Awka.
Udeze, represented by Chairman, House Committees on Education, Hon. Emmanuel Okpalaeke said the law would enable the state gain access to facilities being provided by Commission.
He expressed the State Assembly’s readiness to assist the Commission where necessary, just as he assured teachers in the state of improved welfare.
Soludo’s intervention
The Executive Secretary of NSSEC, Dr Iyela Ajayi said his Commission chose Anambra State as its Southeast zonal headquarters in view of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s revolution in the state’s education sector.
Ajayi, represented by Head Senior Secondary Education Department, Mr. Mohammed Salihu stressed the need for Anambra to domesticate the NSSEC law in the state to enjoy the benefits in the Commission.
He enumerated some mandates of the Commission to include prescribing and enforcing the National Minimum Standards for Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria and develop policy guidelines for the operation of senior secondary education programmes in Nigeria.
“The Commission is also mandated to advise Federal Government on the funding and development of senior secondary education in Nigeria, support national capacity building for teachers and managers of senior secondary education in Nigeria, among others,” he said.
The State Commissioner for Education, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh commended NSSEC for instituting the Southeast Zonal office in Anambra.
Governor of the state
She described the event as epoch-making in the ever revolving education sector since the emergence of Prof Chukwuma Soludo as the governor of the state.
On her part, Chairman PPSSC, Awka, Prof Nkechi Ikediugwu underscored the need to nurture and create enabling environment for education in Southeast and Anambra in particular, stressing that no country or state could rise above its education level.
She appreciated the Minister of Education Professor Tahir Mamman, her partners in education from NSSEC for their presence in the state not only to make a change, but to rapidly accelerate progress in deciding way forward in the education sector.
The Commissioner also appreciated the Governor for his laudable ideas which, according to her, has brought the State to its present heights in the education sector and the Commissioner for Education for making sure the education sector wins all the time.
“It is God’s wish that Anambra State is chosen to be Southeast zonal headquarters to nurture and create an enabling environment for education in the South East and the State in particular because no country or state can rise above the level of its education,” she stated.
The event attracted principals from the six educational zones of the state, students, top PPSSC staff, Lady Ebele Mgbemena, Dr Uchenna Okeke, Dr Oby Elechi, Mrs Ann Okafor, Public Relations Officer of the Commission among others.
The 9th National Assembly passed the bill establishing NSSEC into Law and the President signed the NSSEC Act into Law in 2023.
Lateefah Ibrahim
