Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi (left); flanked by aides and Government functionaries, during the flag-off of "Operation Renovate All Schools in Ekiti" (ORASE), at Methodist Comprehensive High School, Aaye-Ekiti... on Thursday.
No fewer than 100 Schools in Ekiti State are set to wear a new look within the next seven weeks as the State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Thursday flagged off the Operation Renovate All Schools in Ekiti (ORASE).
The first phase of the renovation of the 100 of the 183 Secondary schools scheduled for renovation and the furnishing of same with 40,000 units of furniture would cost a sum of #2.5 Billion and the project is to be delivered before resumption for the 2012/2013 academic session in September.
A sum of N600million of the #2.5 Billion is to be expended on provision of furniture for both students and their teachers.
Speaking at the flag-off of the renovation exercise at the three Senatorial Districts held at Methodist Comprehensive High School, Aaye Ekiti, Corpus Christi College Ilawe and Olaoluwa Muslim Grammar School Ado Ekiti, the Governor said that the intervention programme is part of the decision of his administration to have functional education that equips students with learning, enlightenment and enterprise to face the challenges of life more squarely.
Dr. Fayemi added that 30 secondary schools have been carefully selected from each of the Senatorial Districts based on the urgency of their condition; saying that effective learning can only take place in a conducive environment.
“Our resolve to ensure that this impactation of functional educational is done under a conducive atmosphere informed the Operation Renovation All Schools in Ekiti (ORASE) being flagged off today. Even though the first phase of this operation involving 100 secondary schools is expected to be done within only seven weeks, we have in the rebuilding of the burnt hostel of Government Science College, Ayede-Ekiti which was rebuilt, equipped with beds, and commissioned within few weeks,”he explained.
The Governor stated that it was an incontestable fact that Ekiti State is a pace setter in education, as evident in the vast number of academia produced by the State in all fields of human endeavour; saying that the State “cannot afford to live on past glory or allow our education system to continue to produce half baked products neither good for higher education nor for job creation and wealth generation which are our focus”.
On other efforts of his administration in the sector, Fayemi said by the end of this year, a total of 33,000 laptop computers would have been distributed to students free of charge in order to prepare them for the current trends in Information Communication Technology (ICT) and position them to compete with their colleagues from every part of the world.
He added that 100,000 school bags, braile computers for the physically-challenged and instructional materials worth #15 Million were distributed to students earlier in the year.
Governor Fayemi disclosed that his administration had purchased sports equipment worth over N7.5m for distribution to schools to encourage the exposure of our students and youth at large to varying academic and extra-academic talents development endeavours; adding that a full-fledged Sports Academy and an Institute of Science and Technology would soon be established.
He however enjoined all stakeholders in the education sector to play their roles particularly by close monitoring of the progress of work but warned that nobody should constitute a hindrance to the project; saying that school administrators, parents, well wishers and communities must learn to imbibe a good maintenance culture so that the renovated structures would stand the test of time.
In her remarks, the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr Eniola Ajayi said the renovation of schools was necessary given the level of dilapidation and decay in the schools ; adding that this was not unconnected to several years of neglect and poor job execution by contractors.
Dr. Ajayi assured that no stones would be left unturned in the quest to develop physical and human capital as all school secondary schools in the State would be given a facelift.
She highlighted the efforts of the Dr. Fayemi-led administration in the sector to include the distribution of laptop computers, procurement of Dictionaries for schools, provision of school bags, procurement of sports equipment, payment of WAEC fees for students in secondary schools, disbursement of Car and Housing loans to teachers, provision of 32 new cars for Area Education Officers and Education Secretaries for school monitoring and the repositioning of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti and College of Education, Ikere Ekiti among others.
Last modified: July 26, 2012
