By Abiodun Esan, Ilorin
The government of AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq inherited a total of 2, 065 dilapidated public schools across Kwara when it took over power from the Abdulfattah Ahmed in 2019.
Tafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor made this known in a statement on Sunday in Ilorin.
He said that the government has removed,remodeledd and equipped 605 schools in the state from 2019 to 2022.
“For every classroom fixed, the administration provided adequate furniture, and erected sanitation facilities in many of the schools.
“This is what the money accessed from UBEC is able to do, along with training of teachers and other activities captured under the work plan. There are beautiful pictures of these schools everywhere,” he said.
Ajakaye was reacting to pictures of pupils seating on bare floor in classrooms in Oke Apomu LGEA posted on WhatsApp platform by a member of opposition party.
“The public needs to understand that the 2,064 dilapidated schools and hospitals (including Oke Apomu LGEA school) were a legacy of the same individuals in the PDP who are now sharing pictures of schools in shambles.
“The new administration is only struggling to rebuild what became horribly bad under PDP’s watch.
“Here are the things to note: next time you see another dilapidated school or hospital structures, please know that it is the fallout of the PDP years.
“It is to be noted that the new administration is doing its best to fix these rots, while also investing in other critical needs of the people within available resources.
“What this means is that these rots will take years to go away.
No magic will make them disappear. Only consistent investment will.
“This is the point the Governor made last December about the depth of the rots. The good news is that this administration is doing a lot in this regard.
“Building on the completed or ongoing structures already fixed across 605 locations, the government is currently compiling a list of school structures that require urgent attention for interventions under the 2020/2021 UBEC-SUBEB renewal projects.
“Oke Apomu and many others will get a facelift. That is how to know a serious government.
“This is apart from other efforts of the administration to rebrand public education in the state.
If the horrible pictures of dilapidated schools remind Kwarans of the PDP years, what defines the AbdulRazaq administration are the many strides it has made in steadily fixing the rots in just three years.
“From Ilorin, the capital city, and Ogele (Asa) in the central, to far-flung Patako (Ifelodun), Ipe (Oyun), Koro (Ekiti) communities in Kwara South, and Sabagina in (Edu), and Patigi (Patigi).
“Others are Damu and Yashikira (Baruten), and Kanikoko (Kaiama) in Kwara North, what you see in public schools testifies to the success of AbdulRazaq and his team.
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