The Ekiti State government has disbursed ₦1.2 billion as running grants to primary and secondary schools, technical colleges and the three government special schools in the state for the 2024/2025 academic session.

The state commissioner for information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, made this known in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Thursday.

Mr Olatunbosun disclosed that the government also spent ₦11,306,760,012.54 on the renovation and construction of facilities in all the 203 public secondary schools under the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project.

He added that the government also paid N6,154,879,897.36 as a counterpart fund to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for its 2022, 2023 and 2024 projects in the 927 public primary schools.

The commissioner stated that N16,388,047.77 was spent on the procurement of continuous assessment documents for public secondary schools and N174,032,505.00 for instructional materials for primary schools, among others.

Providing a breakdown of the disbursement of running grants since the inception of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration, Mr Olatunbosun stated that 203 public secondary schools were allocated N214,479,000.00 for the 2022/2023 session and N235,157,400.00 for the 2023/2024 session.

He added that N602,356,500.00 was given for the 2024/2025 session, while the primary schools got N101,419,200.00 for 2022/2023, N109,854,900.00 in 2023/2024 and N381,258,000.00 for 2024/2025.

Mr Olatunbosun disclosed that the technical colleges took N6,774,300.00 in 2022/2023, N5,981,400.00 in 2023/2024 and N10,737,000.00 in 2024/2025.

According to him, the three government special schools receive ₦15,407,000.00 monthly as grants for feeding and maintenance.

He highlighted some of the government’s interventions in public secondary schools, including the renovation of 1,135 classrooms, the construction of 83 new classrooms, the construction of 419 new toilets and the renovation of 277 existing ones, the drilling of 32 boreholes and the rehabilitation of eight for improved water access.

Mr Olatunbosun said the government also renovated, furnished, and equipped 18 libraries, 105 science laboratories, and 67 multi-purpose halls and constructed perimeter fencing for 46 schools. Additionally, 2,978 units of school furniture and learning materials were procured and distributed.

He urged stakeholders to reciprocate and support the government’s efforts to rapidly develop the state and provide access to inclusive, qualitative education in a conducive teaching and learning environment for all.

Mr Olatunbosun equally solicited the involvement of all and sundry in protecting public property in their respective areas for proper maintenance and sustainability.

He reiterated the present administration’s commitment to providing free, qualitative, and compulsory education for school-age children in the state.

The commissioner noted that the state government had invested so much in the sector and “all parties should join hands to protect the investment in order to genuinely achieve the desired goal.”

He cautioned principals and head teachers of public schools to shun corruption and any form of sharp practices.

Mr Olatunbosun stressed that it would be wrong for anyone to misrepresent issues under any guise to possibly attract donations from individuals, groups of people, philanthropists, or associations without considering the unjustifiable effect on the government’s image.

“Please, let’s be guided, as culprits would be made to face the full wrath of the law,” he stated.

(NAN)