From Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti
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The Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has abolished the education tax introduced by the immediate past Government of Mr. Ayodele Fayose in all primary and secondary schools in the state.

The Governor  made the declaration in Ikere-Ekiti while addressing a  crowd during a thank you visit to the Northern and Southern Senatorial districts of the state as part of activities lined up for his inauguration.

Fayemi explained that education would henceforth be free in all  public primary and secondary schools across the state, saying it was an aberration for school children to pay tax.

It will be recalled that Fayose had in 2015 introduced payment of education tax in all private and public schools across the state, whereby children at primary and

secondary cadres were mandated to pay N500 and N1,000 per term respectively.

Fayemi at the  ceremony appealed to Ekiti people to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, saying it is only the continuity of Buhari/Osinbajo government that could bring into realization all the projects promised by the Federal Government for Ekiti.

According to him, “Education is now free up to the secondary cadre in Ekiti State. Our children would no longer pay tax in both public and private schools.

“When we were in government between 2010 and 2014, we ran free education until when the last administration came and said school children should pay tax.

“By the grace of God, by December this year, we are also going to introduce school feeding from primary to Junior Secondary School’s (JSS3) as part of the benefits we will get from the Federal Government”,  he stated.

On the 2019 general elections, Fayemi said the only way the promises made by President Buhari to extend rail line to Ekiti,  Ado-Akure road and do other projects can come to fruition is by allowing this government to continue beyond 2019.

“That is why I am begging our candidates to reach out to other contestants for the State and National Assembly contests and reconcile with each other. They should also meet all the leaders, because no governor can come from the Government House and install all these candidates without the supports of the party people.

“We must not allow cracks in our party, we must be united. Whoever thinks he could fight the leaders and other contestants and still win election is wasting his time, he had already heard the result of the election.

“Don’t let us de-market our party, All Progressives Congress (APC) by our comments. We must be united the way we were for the July 14 election. I want you to learn from me, after the governorship primary, which I won, I immediately embarked on a fence-mending mission to all aspirants, this is how it should be.

“President Buhari has promised Ekiti a lot of goodies and the only way we can benefit is for us to win Ekiti for him”, he advised.

The Governor disclosed that he had been receiving a deluge of text messages from party members barely 24 hours after he assumed office, asking when appointments will be made.

“They have started pestering me for appointments, I have been receiving messages to this effect where party people were asking me when would the caretaker be set up in all the local governments. Our elderly people are also asking when will the N5,000 social security scheme starts.

“I agree this was a right thing to ask, but we must think first of how to pay pensions and salaries, because our government won’t owe salaries and pensions. We must make our people happy with us first and when we do this, we will also review the state’s finances and very soon, we shall start rolling out appointments and other goodies of our government to the people”, he promised.

He thanked the people of the state for their supports before, during and after the elections, while reiterating the readiness of his administration to fulfill all the electioneering promises he made to the people during his campaign.