Peter Obi pays NECO fees for 148 inmates of Correctional Centers in Anambra

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By Madu Obi

The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 election and former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has presented a cheque of N4.741 million to cover the National Examination Council, NECO, fees for 148 inmates taking school certicate examination in the four Correctional Centers in Anambra State.

Obi, who visited the NECO office in Awka unannounced, presented the cheque to the Anambra State coordinator of NECO, Mrs Emilia Njoku as examination fees and other logistics for those taking the exams this year.

The 148 inmates that benefited from the intervention include 50 from Awka Centxer, 36 from Onitsha, 25 from Nnewi, and 37 from Aguata.

Obi explained to the staff of NECO that the intervention became necessary after representatives of inmates from the four Correctional Centers visited him in Onitsha to share their plight.

According to Obi, although NECO had approved their participation in the examinations, a letter of undertaking from a guarantor was required to enable payment of the fees, adding that he immediately provided the letter guaranteeing payment.

He added that he later shared the intervention in the social media, which made the Nigerian Friendship Association, USA, through their non-profit foundation, the Friendship Association Education Assistance, Inc., to reach out to him and expressed their desire to assist.

He said he was deeply inspired by their generosity, noting that collective goodwill can restore dignity and open doors to opportunities, not only for this year, but also for future candidates. "The payment of the NECO fees will be continuous", Obi stated.

Obi stressed that education remains a critical tool for rehabilitation and reintegration. Drawing from his recent visit to California State University, Sacramento, USA, where he observed rehabilitation-focused programmes for disadvantaged and formerly incarcerated persons, he reiterated that correctional centres should function as true centres of reform, with education at the core of their mission.

The Anambra State Coordinator of NECO, Mrs. Emilia Njoku, expressed surprise at the unannounced visit of Mr. Peter Obi, adding that the staff were surprised when a convoy of vehicles arrived the office, only to discover that Obi, uninvited and without prior notice, had come to present a cheque covering NECO examination fees for 148 inmates in correctional centres across Anambra State.

Mrs. Njoku recalled that previous appeals to several individuals and organizations to assist in paying the NECO feed were unsuccessful, adding that she was pleasantly surprised that Obi voluntarily wrote the undertaking and paid the full amount.