By Obiageli Nwankwo
Anambra State Commissioner for Education Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh has told teachers in the state to avoid using pirated copies of approved textbooks in schools.
She made this call during a meeting with the Principals of schools and Education Stakeholders at the Head of Service (HOS) Conference Hall, Jerome Udoji State Secretariat, Awka.
The commissioner added that she has received several reports that most schools in the state are in the habit of buying pirated copies of the approved books from the open market.
“Why expose children to corrupt practices early in life; why teach children from the beginning of their lives that wrong things should be condoned.”
“Books are people’s intellectual properties and it is robbery whether you like it or not for somebody to steal people’s books, multiply it and make gains without the person knowing about it.”
She urged the principals to have an agreement with publishers in bringing books directly to their schools while charging them to adhere to the terms of that agreement by opening bookshops in their schools that would be equiped by publishers and sold to students at the approved rates.
Prof. Chuma-Udeh warned that any principal that sold pirated books in schools would be charged for piracy.
Chairman, Post Primary School Service Commission (PPSSC), Awka, Prof. Nkechi Ikediugwu was among stakeholders at the meeting.
