Oyebanji: War against Illiteracy, School Dropout will be Total
Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has pledged the readiness of his government to forge strong and invincible partnership with intending private investors to strengthen education, saying the war against Illiteracy and school dropout will be total in his administration.
To sustain the past glory recorded by the state in the education sector, Oyebanji said no nation where education is being demeaned and despised can overcome its challenges and become prosperous, adding that such mentality propelled the premium priority he places on education of the youth population of the state.
The governor stated this yesterday while unveiling a block of four classrooms donated by Build a School Initiative in Africa (BASIA) and Ajoni Local Council Development Area, at Saint Luke’s Primary School, Esun Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of the state.
At the event, the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, HRM Oba Babs Ogunsakin, conferred the chieftaincy title of Aare Arikawe and Merit Awards on the Chairman of Ajoni LCDA, Prince Michael Ogungbemi, and the President of BASIA, Dr. Victor Ukorebi, for their contributions to scholarship in Ekiti State.
Describing the event as historic, Oyebanji, represented by his Deputy, Chief Monisade Afuye, said the partnership between the non-governmental organisation and Ajoni LCDA would bring radical development to the education sector via increased school enrolment.
He said: “Under this administration, the war against illiteracy and school dropout is total. That was why Governor Oyebanji at inception declared free education at both primary and secondary schools. This singular but lofty move had helped in raising the school enrolment and makes Ekiti State has one of the highest school enrolment in the country.”
To accommodate the upsurge caused by exponential students’ enrolment, Oyebanji said his administration has begun the construction of two model secondary schools in Ikere and Ikole Ekiti to avert overcrowding in schools.
The governor revealed that his government had paid the sum of N6.2 billion as counterpart funding to benefit from the Universal Basic Education fund, while a humungous amount of N400 million had been deployed to offset debts owed contractors handling projects at the State Universal Basic Education Board(SUBEB).
He said: “Let me at this point commend this NGO and Ajoni LCDA for their partnership that has brought development to the education sector. I knew that the NGO had earlier built a block of four classrooms at Saint Stephen’s Primary School, Ayebode Ekiti.
“I am convinced that other local government areas can also extend hands of partnership to private sector to complement what our government is doing in education because the project you are unveiling today will add value to scholarship and humanity in general.
“Let me appreciate the donor and to also appeal to other interested private organisations to key into our transformation agenda. We are ready to partner you, and our doors are open to investments in any sector of your choice in the state.”
In his submission, the Chairman of Ajoni Local Council Development Area, Prince Micheal Ogungbemi, said the international standard school project would offer comfort to children to embark on their educational journey.
He described education as the pivot upon which every society stands and flourishes, revealing that the primary cadre of education holds a special place in shaping the future of children.
Also, the President of BASIA, Dr. Victor Ukorebi, said the school building gesture was to reduce out-of-school children in Nigeria, which UNESCO put at over 20 million, describing this as disturbing and a threat to the future of the country.
“We have a lot of work to do to put our children back to school. We still need over 20,000 schools to accommodate out-of-school children in Nigeria. We must all make our impacts felt. The war against illiteracy must be total,” he stated.
