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The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) and former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, has paid the National Examinations Council (NECO) fees for 148 inmates in correctional centres across Anambra State.
He presented the cheque to the Anambra State Coordinator of NECO, Mrs Emilia Njoku, during his unannounced visit to the NECO office in Awka, the state capital, yesterday.
Speaking on the occasion, Obi stated that representatives of inmates from the Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, and Aguata (Ekwulobia) correctional centres had earlier visited him in Onitsha to share their plight.
Although NECO had approved their participation in the examinations, a letter of undertaking from a guarantor was required to enable payment of the fees.
Obi disclosed that he immediately provided the letter guaranteeing payment, adding that after he shared the intervention on social media, the Nigerian Friendship Association, USA, through their non-profit foundation, the Friendship Association Education Assistance, Inc., reached out to him and expressed their desire to assist.
He said he was deeply inspired by their generosity, noting that collective goodwill could restore dignity and open doors to opportunity, not only for this year but also for future candidates.
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On the purpose of the visit, Obi said it was to formally present the cheque. The total payment, including fees and logistics, amounted to ₦4,741,400. A total of 148 inmates benefited from the intervention, comprising 50 from Awka, 36 from Onitsha, 25 from Nnewi, and 37 from Aguata.
Obi, who stated that education remains a critical tool for rehabilitation and reintegration, drew from his recent visit to California State University, Sacramento, where he observed rehabilitation-focused programmes for disadvantaged and formerly incarcerated persons.
He stressed that correctional centres should function as true centres of reform, with education at the core of their mission.
The Anambra State Coordinator of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Mrs. Emilia Njoku, expressed surprise at the unannounced visit of Obi to the NECO State Office in Awka. She explained that the staff of NECO were initially curious when a convoy of vehicles arrived, 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 the state.
Njoku noted that previous appeals to several individuals and organisations had been unsuccessful, and she was surprised that Obi voluntarily wrote the undertaking and settled the full amount.
Professor Chinyere Stella Okunna, who accompanied Obi, described the act as noble and deserving of the highest commendation.
