By Adekola Afolabi

|

The House Of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Services, has lauded the Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for making the state primary education a model through aggressive infrastructural development.
The Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, who led other members of the Committee on a courtesy visit to the Governor in his office in Alagbaka, Akure, particularly applauded Akeredolu, for his giant strides in the areas of Education, infrastructure and other critical interventions in the state.
Prof. Ihonvbere, described the Governor as a true leader who has not restricted himself to the state or the South-West alone but has been very proactive and vocal on burning national issues.
The Chairman who said the Committee was in the state on oversight function to monitor how the matching grant from Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has been utilized in Ondo State, specifically commended the Governor for what he called careful and judicious utilisation of the grant.
Ihonvbere while describing the reconstructed and renovated of public primary schools with perimeter fencing, gates and other facilities in the state as a model, also said that children must be properly built and protected given the place of education in contemporary life.
“We are here to see how the matching grant from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has been utilized in Ondo State. From what we have seen so far, there are several innovative interventions.
“We have gone round as many schools as possible and I must admit that what we have seen in Ondo is a model. Children are most important investment; we say they are the future of tomorrow. But for that future to be meaningful, purposeful and be part of holistic engagement in the issues of growth and development, we must build them properly.
“There is also a very careful and judicious utilisation of what Ondo State has collected. Many schools have been rebuilt and renovated. This is one of the few States that have bothered to build perimeter fencing with gates to protect our children in schools.
“We have also seen that government has made a lot of efforts to sink boreholes in primary schools; you don’t find this in many States. So we commend the Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, we also commend the people of Ondo state”, the Chairman added.
His his remarks, Governor Akeredolu explained that when he assumed office in 2017, nothing was done about the existing public primary schools in the state but since his administration came on board it has paid all unpaid counterpart funds from 2013 and up to 2019.
Akeredolu who stressed his administration placed priority on education hence it was able to achieve the feat, added that the matching grant for 2020 is being processed, saying the COVID-19 pandemic was part of what slowed government down.
“It is a good thing that you are able to go round all the schools you visited. l may put things in proper perspective so that you can know, by the time we came in 2017, nothing was done about them at all. The last time we paid counterpart and assessed fund from UBEC was 2013 before we came in.
“Somebody can decide to build mega schools, it doesn’t mean anything. Whether the schools are effective now or not it is now left for the people to judge at the end of the day. But we are putting them in better use now. We are giving them to our higher institutions because they are the ones that can use them.
“In our own time, we made up our mind that things will not be done this way. That is why we went all out and paid all the counterpart for 2013/2014; 2015/2016 and up to 2019. That is why we were able to do a few work that you have seen.
“The Muslim school here became dilapidated and no one was going there. When we came here, we rebuilt it. From less than 50 pupils, their students are now over 200.
Akeredolu also disclosed that SUBEB board would soon be reconstituted.