From Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
Ekiti State government has released N146 million for the payment of Rural Teachers Allowance and Core Subjects Allowance to teachers in its employ.
A total number of 6,203 teachers from both primary and secondary schools serving in rural areas and those teaching core subjects are the beneficiaries.
Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, described the gesture as a “further demonstration of the present administration’s commitment to the welfare of teachers and ensure meaningful development in education sector.”
In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Odunayo Ogunmola, Egbeyemi assured that the Kayode Fayemi administration places high premium on the welfare workers and ensure timely payment of all arrears of workers’ salaries.
The payment of the special allowances covers three-month arrears of October, November and December 2018.
A total number of 3,314 teachers serving in rural areas got N77,352,843.75 while total number of 2,889 core subjects teachers got N68,718,214.90.
Allowanceis paid to public school teachers teaching in Mathematics, English Language, Physics, Chemistry and Biology while Rural Teachers Allowance is paid to teachers who offered to serve in rural communities.
The two allowances, which came on stream during the first tenure of Dr. Fayemi, are outside the normal monthly salaries paid to teachers by the state government.
Egbeyemi urged teachers to reciprocate the gesture and cooperate with the administration of Dr. Fayemi by putting in their best in order to regain the lost glory in education in Ekiti State.
He further allayed the fear of the Fayemi administration sacking teachers as peddled by the opposition rather more teachers would been employedas soon as possible.
The deputy governor noted that the education sector has been enjoying
a new lease of life since the coming to power of the Fayemi administration.
He listed the reforms in the education to include the Executive Order
banning collection of illegal levies in public schools and the release
of N200 million housing and car loans to teachers.
Others, according to him are the payment of the West African
Examinations Council (WAEC) fees for 13,000 final year students in
public secondary schools, purchase of 3,000 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms for Ekiti youths and procurement of 552 laptops for selected secondary schools.