By Balkis Tijani.
The Speaker of the Kwara state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi has decried the rot in the education sector in the state.
The Speaker, who addressed the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) at the Kwara state House of Assembly complex on Tuesday, reiterated the commitment of the state government to resuscitating the sector which he noted was evident in the recent payment of the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) counterpart funds.
“It is in recognition of the extent of education infrastructure decay that the Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq-led administration paid the diverted Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) counterpart funds to ensure a turnaround, which you will see manifesting very soon”, he assured the union.
Hon. Danladi also remarked on the backlog of salaries owed the SUBEB staff by the immediate past administration.
He explained that the government was working tirelessly to offset the outstanding arrears while advocating the need for systemic cleansing.
“We respect the teachers for what they do and we are working round the clock to ensure we clear backlog of their salaries, but in achieving this, there must be systemic cleansing that will help curb financial leakage and allow value for our lean resources.
“We however need you to be patient with us and give us maximum cooperation, we need you to lay good legacies that will outlive us all and not be collaborators with the administrators at SUBEB and TESCOM in acts of indiscipline or corruption, because your members are at the receiving end”, he stated.
The Speaker pledged to ensure an enabling environment for quality teaching and learning, such that will give public education in the state a facelift.
In his remark, the Kwara NUT Chairman, Comrade Toyin Salihu sought the 9th Assembly’s intervention in areas of Teachers’ promotion, payment of salaries, increment and leave bonuses, illegal deductions in their salaries, dearth of teachers in schools and supports for social functions of teachers, such as, celebration of World Teachers Day.