Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi says his administration has paid N3.3 billion as the State’s counterpart funding for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) intervention projects.
The Governor made this known in Ado- Ekiti on Monday, while flagging off the distribution of working and instructional materials worth N30 Million to public schools across the State to further enhance leaning.
Dr Fayemi who highlighted some of the investments of his administration in the education sector listed the approval for the payment of N146 Million as allowances to teachers, payment of part of the outstanding salary arrears and allowances owed by the last administration and, approval for the payment of rural posting and core subject allowances among others.
He said these steps were geared towards making teaching and learning conducive “in affirmation of our professed determination in restoring the values of Ekiti”.
The Governor said: “It saddens my heart to hear that primary schools in Ekiti State have not been given instructional and working materials since 2016. This is not a good way to achieve effective teaching and learning by our esteem teachers and pupils. The importance of instructional materials in any classroom academic process is more than meet the ordinary eye.
“It is to improve pupils’ knowledge, abilities and skills, monitor the assimilation of information, contribute to the overall development of the pupils and subsequently improve pupils learning outcomes and achievement”, the governor said.
According to the governor, the materials distributed include 17 units of motorcycles, 2,000 cartons of chalk, 450 cartons of red biro, 450 cartons of blue biro, 13,000 copies of diaries; 13,000 copies of registers; 2,000 copies of time books and 150 building blocks.
Others are photocopiers, 75 counting cards, 100 mathematical set, 100 world globe and 100 sets of plastic round tables and chairs.
The Governor added that efforts were in top gear for the supply of computers for e-learning and other relevant instructional materials to enable all Ekiti public schools compete favourably with other States in Nigeria.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Dr. Adefolakemi Oladimeji, thanked the Governor for providing an enabling environment for teachers to work and prioritizing their welfare by releasing money for the payment of housing loan to teachers.
The Permanent Secretary who noted that teachers and SUBEB staff are being equipped to deliver effectively assured that teachers will work harder to justify government’s investment in the education sector.
