By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Thursday, said he would by next week commence payment of the N70, 000 new minimum wage to workers.
Soludo, who announced this at a meeting of all principals and head teachers in public primary and secondary schools, held at Awka, also granted free education to senior students at public schools.
According to the governor, the State the administration would work harder to deliver on its mandate despite economic situation in the country.
He recalled that his administration had since onset offered free education to primary and junior secondary schools students, adding that the administration would in no distant time provide public schools to about 77 communities currently without it.
"Yes! we now have a truly free education in Anambra. In all public schools, we should be able to guarantee that every child has access to free and qualitative education, especially to the poorest of the poor.
"For those who have collected, refund the school fees money back to the parents. We have posted over 2000 teachers to mission schools as a way of subsidizing education. There are no smart teachers without smart schools. We are gradually upscaling technology in our schools, with the current laying of over 2000 fibre optic cables.
"Because we declared truly free education from Nursery, primary and JSS three pupils and students, enrolment in public schools increased by 18 percent and out-of-school children dropped by 2 percent, making Anambra the number one state with the lowest percentage of out-of-school children," he noted.