By Godwin Ojoshimite, Lafia

Nasarawa State government Wednesday said children of non-indigenes resident in the state have been considered in the free education programme recently introduced by governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.

State commissioner for education, Sani Yakubu Hauwa, dropped this hint while  interacting with journalists in his office in Lafia, the state capital.

He explained that this action is in line with the governor’s appreciation of the plight of the less privilege members of the society, including non-indigenes.

“They are residence in Nasarawa state, hence we felt there is cause to provide it for them too,” he stated.

He added:“For the provision of the free education, we take into cognisance the total  number of students in the state’s schools irrespective of where they come from. I think this is the first time any state in Nigeria is doing that,” he observed.

Hauwa stated further that “to us they are truly here and our assumption is that if they are resident in Nasarawa state and they found our schools worthy for their children to pass through, Nasarawa state government is ever ready to provide it for them”.

He also berated school principals collecting tution fees from students, warning that sanctions await anyone of them caught in the act.