Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, on Monday, said School Governing Boards (SGBs) initiated by the state government have injected more than N2bn into the state’s education sector in the last one year.

The governor made the disclosure during the foundation laying ceremony of University of Ibadan Alumni Association's guest house extension, held at the university.

It would be recalled that SGB is a participatory model, which brings together all stakeholders in the education system in the management of public secondary schools in the state.

Ajimobi stated that the state government has also awarded contracts estimated at N2b for the renovation and reconstruction of 100 secondary schools across the state.

A March 8 letter by the National President of the association, Kemi Emina, had indicated the resolve of the UI Alumni to name the building after the governor as a mark of recognition of his outstanding performance.

The Alumni president said the building would be inaugurated on May 5 as part of activities lined up to mark the 60th anniversary of the association.

The letter reads, “As an association, we have carefully followed your activities as the governor of Oyo State. It is a general consensus that you have set a pace in governance and infrastructural development that will be difficult to match, years after you leave office.

“And this partly formed the reason for our award to you in September, last year. Equally important to us is that the building (Alumni guest house) be named after you in perpetuity.”

Ajimobi, represented by the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Adeniyi Olowofela, said the commitment of the N2b by the SGBs till date was a proof that the policy was a step in the right direction.

He said, “In the last one year, the SGB has injected over N2bn into the education sector in Oyo State. This is a further vindication of the policy as a step in the right direction.

“On our part, we have committed a lot of funds into education in our determined efforts to revamp the sector and to produce students that will compete favourably with their peers anywhere in the country and beyond.

“Let me use this opportunity to thank members of SGBs for their patriotism and commitment. By this I mean the Parents-Teachers Associations, school principals, Old Students Associations, philanthropists, corporate organizations and others, who acceded to our clarion call to serve on the boards.

“I’m highly impressed by the response of many of these SGBs members who have joined hands with the government by contributing financially towards giving our schools the needed facelift.”

He said further that the administration’s commitment to quality education and character building among the students partly informed the introduction of SGBs and Oyo State Model Education Systems Intervention (OYOMESI).