The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said his administration will fund the rebuilding of secondary schools in the state through the State Employment and Expenditure for Result (SEEFOR) programme.
Speaking at the thanksgiving service for the 2023 Education Week, in Benin City, Obaseki noted that between May 1st 2023 and September 1st 2024, all funding for SEEFOR projects will now go for secondary schools in the state.
He said, “I have said between May 1st this year and September 1st next year all the funds I used to put under SEEFOR for roads will now go into secondary schools. This is in excess of N6 billion naira. Unlike basic schools we don’t have federal support for secondary schools. As such, we must put funding mechanisms in place to rebuild all our secondary schools. We can’t finish all of them but have started by having in place a financial plan.”
Obaseki noted, “We can’t solve all the problems that have accumulated for over three generations. What we have done is to set the process, set the directions and hope that the citizens will hold the government accountable and responsible to ensure they deliver on what they expect within available resources.
“We believe we should leave a directional plan on education behind when we leave. We have made significant progress and demonstrate that it’s possible as we have made more investment, trained the teachers using technology and believe that with all this implementation of the reform, our students will be better off.”
In his sermon on the theme, ‘Provoking in Thanksgiving unto the Lord’ reading from Luke 19:40, Rev. Egbenusi Osazee, urged leaders in the society to treat their subordinates with respect and dignity.