Alex Otti, the Abia State Governor, has declared that non-enrollment of children to schools in the state is now an offense. 

 The Governor disclosed this at Umuahia Township Stadium during the 2024 Children’s Day celebration, noting that the policy would be supported with legislation by the Abia State House of Assembly which would follow with a penalty for offenders. 

 His words: “From now on it is an offense for any child that is of school age not to be sent to school.

 “We are going to back that up with a legislation and that legislation will prescribe penalties for any parent who refuses to bring out his child for education." 

 He also added that scholarships would be created for children whose parents are financially disadvantaged, to ensure that every child of school age goes to school, promising that no child in the state would be marginalized or molested. 

He also condemned payment of levies for special books by students of the school for the blind, Afaraukwu, and donated a bus to them.

 He alsoapologized to Abia children for the past administrations which owed teachers salaries and left school environments undeveloped.