Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has ordered the immediate relocation of a public primary school at Ikun-Ekiti in the Moba Local Government Area of the state from its present location at the Ero River area to a safer site.
Chairman of the Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof. Femi Akinwumi, on Sunday, made this known during an on-the-spot assessment of the premises of the school and the new site at Ikun-Ekiti.
According to him, the governor’s decision was a proactive one premised on the urgent need to curtail the incessant threats of flooding from the Ero River during rainy seasons.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the SUBEB chairman noted that the affected school, United Primary school, Ikun Ekiti, established since 1944, was bedeviled by perennial flooding over the years.
Prof. Akinwumi further explained that the governor’s decision to relocate the school was to guarantee the safety of both the teachers and pupils as well as arrest the continued destruction of public properties by the flood.
He reiterated the commitment of the current administration to the welfare and wellbeing of people of the state.
The SUBEB chairman stressed that the administration placed a high premium on the safety and security of pupils and teachers in the state.
He added that Governor Fayemi had also directed the speedy construction of additional classrooms at the school’s new site, adding that immediate work would begin on the erection of the new buildings.
He lauded the support of people in the community for the efforts of the government at providing a conducive environment for teaching and learning in the state.
The chairman stressed that bringing the attention of the government to the danger posed by the Ero River to the school’s old site as well as providing a new site for the school was commendable and appreciated.
In his remarks, the Onikun of Ikun-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Akorewolu, expressed appreciation to the government for promptly responding to the community’s request.
The traditional ruler promised that apart from providing six plots of land for the construction of the new school, the community would also provide additional logistics support for SUBEB to ensure the early completion of the planned school buildings.