Enugu house assembly passes mass literacy amendment bill

MEMBERS of the Enugu State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed the State Agency  for Mass  Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education Amendment Bill.

The bill was unanimously passed by the house after the third reading.

According to the Leader of the House, Honourable Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, the passage of the bill is to enable checks and balances in the Education sector in Enugu State.

Ezeugwu said that the agency had so much power, adding that this had made it not to report to anyone as regards carrying out it duties.

“It appears the power of this agency is so much , being that they do not report to anybody, but no matter how one is highly placed, there should be checks and balancing so that things do not go out of hand,” he said.

Honourable Matthew Ugwueze, representing Igboeze South explained that with amendment of the bill on Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education would no longer  be accessible by only two zones which were Enugu and Nsukka but more four zones would be added because of increase in population.

Ugwueze, who is House Committee chairman on Education, added that the four zones added in the amendment bill include Agbani, Obolafor, Udi and Awgu, adding that there was need to amend the bill because education was very important in everyone’s life.

He said that the amendment would also make the agency to report their activities to the state commissioner for Education so that things would not go out of hand.

Honourable Chukwuemeka Ogbuabor, representing Isiuzor Constituency noted that the bill would go a long way to strengthen the administration and accountability in the management of the State Agency for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education.

The Speaker, Honourable Edward Ubochi explained that passage of the bill would bring education to the grassroots for all Enugu citizens to be literate.