The news that Ekiti State came 22 among the 36 States of the country and the Federal Capital Territory in the recently released result of the 2018 examination of the West African Examinations Council has drawn the ire of a former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye.
Adeyeye, also a former National Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party and indigene of Ekiti State, said in a statement that the result showed the rot that has become the lot of education under Governor Ayodele Fayose.
He said as he rightly predicted, the high performance of students in the first seven years of Fayose in government was a product of the works done by the Administrations of former Governors Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi.
Adeyeye said in the statement: “One is shocked with the abysmal mass failure of Ekiti Students in the recently released WAEC 2018 results placing the state on number 22 out of 36 states.
“We had earlier cried to the public that the celebrated achievement of coming first in NECO examination was as a result of concerted efforts made by Oni/Fayemi administrations to reposition the education sector. It takes time for a seed to germinate and bear fruits The results of the giant strides of the two administrations and huge investment in pedagogical and infrastructural facilities was undeservedly appropriated by Fayose as his achievements. One wondered then how you could achieve such outstanding result without any investment whatsoever in infrastructural and human capital development. Fayose was claiming that he could reap without sowing. Now the deceit has finally been exposed.
“There has not been recruitment of teachers to teach these students in the last three and half years. In most schools, a graduate of religious studies are made to teach English language, Physics graduate teaching Chemistry and Business Administration teaching Accounting.
“The core subjects allowance paid by Fayemi as well as Rural allowance were cancelled by Fayose. Salaries are owed for up to eight months arrears, no furniture for teachers and students. The morale in education sector fell to the lowest ebb.
“The teachers are not motivated and students are groaning under taxation by the government that kept most of them out of the school compound. No provision of textbooks and other instructional materials to aid learning.
“The last straw that broke the Carmel’s back was the over politicisation of education by coercing the teachers to compulsorily work for the ruling party. Closing school down indiscriminately for teachers to attend political rallies and threatening to sack them for not supporting the repressive regime not minding the school academic calendar.
“The destruction wrought upon the educational sector by Fayose is now finally manifesting. It will take years to rebuild the education sector in Ekiti from the present decay. That is why we earnestly pray for Dr Fayemi to come back and safe the Education sector from total collapse.”