‘We’re committed to quality education’ — Oyebanji pays outstanding subvention to Ekiti varsities

Biodun Oyebanji, governor of Ekiti, says he has paid an outstanding subvention to some tertiary institutions in the state.

The institutions are Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti; Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti; and Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital.

In a statement, Yinka Oyebode, the governor’s aide on media, said Oyebanji spoke during EKSU’s 27th convocation held on Thursday.

According to the statement, the payment of the subvention came barely a week after the governor inaugurated the governing councils of the institutions.

Oyebanji added that his administration would continue to explore avenues to offset other outstanding obligations to workers and institutions in the state.

He said his government has been pursuing a multi-pronged policy action that would allow schools in Ekiti from primary to tertiary to be responsive to the demands of today’s realities.

“The Oyebanji administration is committed to the advancement of education and human capital development and would leave no stone unturned in supporting tertiary institutions in the state to become world-class institutions,” the statement reads.

“As a government, our administration places immense importance on human capital development. Our government is irreducibly committed to job creation, youths, and human capital development, to underscore this out of the six pillars of our administration, youth empowerment and human capital development occupy number two and three respectively.

“As part of the effort to achieve this, I recently launched the Ekiti digital skill Academy in February this year with the distribution of laptops to 100 youths as part of our move to upscale digital education for job creation and the programme targets 500 youths to be given laptops and other devices to facilitate their learning experience.

“Similarly, we just secured the federal government’s approval for Ekiti knowledge zone to become a free trade zone. This is a critical requirement for the zone to get the needed investment inflow for the development of the zone. For us, EKZ is conceived to be a digital innovation, technology, and creative hub.”

In his remark, Akin Oyebode, the EKSU’s pro-chancellor and chairman of the governing council, commended the governor for paying one of the two outstanding subventions barely a week after inaugurating the councils.