Gov Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti has flagged off the distribution of instructional materials to public primary schools in the state.
Speaking at the flag-off, the governor pledged that his administration would continue to place a high premium on education in spite of competing needs and the meagre resources accruing to the state.
Fayemi, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Foluso Daramola, described basic education as an inalienable right of every child and the greatest asset to bequeath to them.
Fayemi said his administration had been responsive to its obligations to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) with the payment of all outstanding counterpart funds that the immediate past administration failed to pay.
He added that the development had engendered the bond of unity between UBEC and the state government which had made it possible for the state to access UBEC funds up to 2018.
Fayemi said that the state government was presently using the recently accessed UBEC/SUBEB funds up to 2015 for the renovation of 83 blocks of classrooms, construction of 76 blocks of classrooms as well as the construction of 91 units of four cubicle toilets and perimeter fence in 42 schools across the state.
Other ongoing projects, he said, included procurement of 8,075 units of plastic desks and chairs for pupils, construction of 3,375 units of metal legged students lockers and chairs as well as 4,150 teachers tables and chairs.
While commending teachers in the state for their commitment to duties, Fayemi pledged to make their welfare top priority of his administration.
He said that his administration had approved the immediate payment of running grants for first, second and third terms of 2018/2019 to all public primary schools in the state.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Ekiti Universal Basic Education Board, Prof. Fransisca Aladejana, lauded the commitment of Fayemi to the growth of education in the state.
She highlighted the positive response given to the requests of the board to include the provision of instructional materials to public primary schools, payment of counterpart funds to UBEC, the abolition of the payment of fees and the introduction of the homegrown school feeding programme.
The chairman listed the items to be distributed to schools to include 72 solar panels, 65 computers with e-learning software, two generating sets, 20,445 different storybooks for library use and 11,700 charts among others.
She pledged the commitment of SUBEB management to working tirelessly toward achieving the mission of revitalising the basic education sector in the state.
The Secretary to Ekiti Government, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, commended primary school teachers in the state for their hard work and diligence.
He noted that primary school teachers had a pivotal role to play in achieving the mission of the present administration of restoring the lost values of the state and giving the state a knowledge economy.
Also speaking, the UBEC representative in Ekiti, Mr Joshua Arema, pledged the commitment of the commission to partnering with SUBEB in the quest to make qualitative basic education accessible to all children of school age in the state.