From Victor Akinkuolie, Ekiti
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Ekiti State Government has begun the distribution of books and instructional materials worth N30 million to public schools across the sixteen local government areas of the state.

Speaking at the occasion attended by primary schools head teachers  and officials of the Ministry of Education in the state, the Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, said the distribution of the materials was geared towards making learning conducive in furtherance  of his administration’s determination to    determination restore the values  of the state.

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 sets, 100 world globes and 100 sets of plastic round tables and chairs.

Fayemi disclosed that as part of  efforts to reposition the state’s education sector, his administration has paid N3.3 billion as the State’s counterpart fund for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) intervention project.

Dr Fayemi also  highlighted some of the investments of his administration in the education sector  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.

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.

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 loans to teachers.