Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has paid N3 billion out of the N4.6 billion inherited debt owed staff of the state-owned Faculty of Schooling by the immediate-past administration.
The Edo State Commissioner for Schooling, Hon. Paddy Iyamu, disclosed this throughout an interactive session with journalists in Benin Metropolis on the weekend.
Iyamu revealed this whereas additionally highlighting key achievements and ongoing reforms by the Okpebholo-led administration within the training sector.
In accordance with him, the settlement of the long-standing debt adopted Governor Okpebholo’s directive for fast motion after reviewing the {financial} implications of the debt.
“After we did the calculation, it got here as much as N4.6 billion. I used to be afraid. I went to the governor, and he mentioned no drawback, they labored for Edo, and we’ll use Edo cash to pay them, and he instantly accredited it”, Iyamu said.
The Commissioner additionally revealed that over 1,000 college students migrated from personal faculties to public faculties inside the final educational session because of the huge renovation and rebuilding of public faculties underneath the Okpebholo administration.
He defined that improved infrastructure throughout the state’s faculties has restored confidence in public training.
“The governor has made it clear that we should give the youngsters of the poor a seat on the desk of success. Within the final educational session, we had over 1,000 new college students from personal faculties enrolling into public faculties,” he mentioned.
Iyamu cited examples of such faculties as Military Day Secondary School, with 502 new college students, Evbareke, with about 350, and Uyiosa (Otiku), with over 300 college students.
“If I put them collectively, it’s over 1,000. These numbers present the dedication of His Excellency. It’s the new faculties which have attracted these enrolments,” he added.
Iyamu additional famous that over 68 faculties have been rebuilt or renovated throughout Edo’s three senatorial districts, whereas 25 college lands illegally occupied by land grabbers have been recovered.
He dismissed claims that the figures have been exaggerated, urging critics to confirm them bodily.
“These saying no such variety of faculties have been rebuilt ought to go there and see for themselves,” he mentioned, noting that lots of the tasks are seen on the ministry’s official on-line platforms.
The Commissioner additionally introduced that 4,000 contract lecturers engaged by the earlier administration and 1,000 others employed by communities have been given full employment standing inside the final yr.
He additionally confirmed that college students of the state’s technical faculties now obtain N40,000 as a month-to-month stipend whereas tuition has been made free in keeping with the United Nations’ Sustainable Improvement Targets (SDGs).
“All faculties are actually free, together with technical faculties. We met them in a sorry state, however issues have modified,” he added.
The Commissioner additionally reaffirmed the state authorities’s dedication to constructing a strong training system able to empowering Edo youth with employable abilities.
