Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
Ekiti Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has said payment of counterpart funds by his administration will facilitate transformation of basic education in the state.
The governor disclosed this in Ido Ekiti while commissioning a block of six classrooms at Ekiti Parapo College as part of activities marking the first anniversary of his administration in office. Fayemi, who was represented by his deputy, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, disclosed that payment of N4 billion counterpart funds to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) will change the face of basic education in the state.
Special Assistant (Media) to the Deputy Governor, Odunayo Ogunmola, in a statement added that other projects commissioned were a police station in Igogo Ekiti, Town Halls in Obada Ekiti and Isan Ekiti.
The governor lamented that basic education experienced hitches after his first tenure following the refusal of the succeeding administration to pay UBEC counterpart funds for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
“In 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, no counterpart find was laid to the Federal Government so we could not access money to build schools. But when Fayemi came, he paid all the arrears of counterpart funds and before the year runs out, we will give out contracts.”
The governor promised the competent local contractors will be engaged to execute the jobs to boost the economy in the grassroots. Fayemi further urged people in the communities to always monitor projects in their domains and take ownership of them to prevent vandalism.