The late Chief Obafemi Awolowo knew and held on to the belief that education is the key element of transformation and change for the people and made his Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN)adopt free and qualitative education as one of the four cardinal programmes of that party in the late 1970s. Today, an appreciative Yoruba race still reveres Awolowo and of course, who would not do so?

At national level, Nigeria has tried its hand on several educational policies and programmes, which include, Universal Primary Education (UPE)of the 60s, National Primary Education (NPE)and the faltering Universal Basic Education (UBE), among others. Sadly, for lack of commitment, sincerity and poor implementation, all these have not yielded the required results.

However, an education revolution is stirring in Akwa Ibom State. It is a revolution without instruments of violence; it is a revolution that will change the face of the state and much of the country.

According to Governor Godswill Akpabio from the beginning of 2008/2009 academic sessions there will be free and compulsory education in all primary and secondary schools in the State.

This would go beyond just tuition fees to include free textbooks followed by the cancellation of boarding school system in all secondary schools.

Reacting to the move, a non-governmental organisation, the Empowerment Resource International (ERI), commended the move, saying it would alleviate the burden of indigent parents seeking to educate children through public school system.

Idle mind they say is the devil's workshop, which the Akpabio's administration is trying to remove in the minds of so many youths who are still of school age.

The Akwa Ibom Traders Union, Lagos Chapter, in its reaction, not only commended the state government's gesture, but also called on artisans, peasants, fishermen and all Akwa Ibom people to make good use of the opportunity offered by this life-time, happening in the state for the first time, to ensure their children attend school.

Although the move is a commendable one it will be worthy to note that the Akpabio-government has taken on an obligation that will cost huge sums of money to bank roll and operate. The state has 229 secondary schools, not counting the 14 secondary schools that were recently handed over to their former owners as well as 1,110 primary schools.

The implication is that the facilities needed would increase, the funds needed for the payment of teachers will go up especially with the recently negotiated Teachers Salary Scale (TSS), and these could frighten the government but the usual saying is "if we think the cost of education is awesome, then let us try the cost of ignorance," the latter is obviously costlier.

However, the government is ready to take up the challenge. For one, the state Commissioner of Education has ordered all schools' Principals who have collected any form of money from students to refund it, even though it must be added that there must strict monitoring to ensure compliance.

The government also recently donated books to 93 schools across the state and has also concluded arrangements with some agencies to make books available for the project. To ensure the safety of the books, the state is said to considering sending a bill that will impose heavy penalties on thieves of library books in the State.

Also, receiving the Council of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology (COHEADS)which recently had their 112th meeting in the state, Deputy Governor Patrick Ekpotu, echoing the policy of the administration, is quoted as having pledged that the government would do all in its power to support education in the country. Now, the government is starting to show proof of this at home.

For most enlightened people, governments have their relevance only when they meet the basic needs of their citizens. One of those needs is the provision of qualitative education, especially for the youths, who represent the future of the world.

Unfortunately, many political leaders prefer to send their wards to highflying, costly institutions in Europe and the America while they leave the educational system in their home to go ablaze.

This is why the strengthening of its educational programme by making it free and compulsory is not only commendable, but also recommendable. The government is by this discharging what Obama has rightly called a moral obligation to every child.

For those who would like to put the project as one of those political promises that never saw the light of the day, this project may not be like that. This is how political fathers of yesteryear did when they dismissed Awo's free education project as a non-event but one can only ask them to realise that the project is not just about the government but about the future of children, our tomorrow and our destiny. They should also look at the products of that education regime put in place by Awolowo.

Beyond this, it is important to remind the government that after the successful take-off of the project it should also look at the curriculum to make it be educating for job creation and not for job seeking.

The missing link between the labour market and the educational institutions through out the country is in not matching theories with practice. We must work to change that. Equally, school administrators who have been used to imposing illegal fees all for old throat's sake should not frustrate this engagement. Similarly, would-be beneficiaries of the system should visualise the benefits they stand to gain from the project. They must realise that nobody in government in Akwa Ibom today or before, had this kind of opportunity, and so, it is in their interest to embrace it with both hands.