A bill seeking to extend the federal government’s free and compulsory education programme from the Junior Secondary School 3 to the Senior Secondary School 3 has passed first reading on the floor of the Senate.

The bill was sponsored by the representative of Imo West Senatorial district, Rochas Okorocha.

The former governor in a statement by his media office on Wednesday said the bill when passed into law would ensure that Nigerian children are able to access qualitative education up to senior secondary school level.

He noted that the Federal Government free education policy at the moment only captured those from primary to junior secondary school levels.

Okorocha described the proposed legislation, tagged: ‘Free Universal Education Act Amendment Bill’,  as a people-oriented bill.

He expressed the hope that the bill would be given an accelerated hearing and subsequent assent by the executive.

The statement explained that Okorocha established the Rochas Foundation colleges across most parts of Nigeria long before he became governor.

It noted that the Senator has always been an advocate of equal access to qualitative education by all Nigerian and African children.

The statement added that Okorocha was the first Nigerian governor to fully implement the free education policy across all levels of education while in office from 2011 to 2019.