Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has made a heavy investment in basic education, the first in the history of the State since 1967, according to Prof. Raheem Adaramaja.
Adaramaja, who is the Chairman of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB), spoke in Ilorin at the grand finale of the Radio Quiz Competition organised for Junior Secondary School Students in the 16 LGs of Kwara State.
Ekiti and Offa local government schools emerged the First and Second Prize Winners, while Irepodun LG settled for the third place.
“We have every reason to thank Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his love for us and interest in the development of basic education in the State. It is on record that his investment in basic schools is, to our knowledge, the highest since the creation of Kwara State in 1967. He is indeed the father of basic education,” he said.
Adaramaja said the pride of any society depends largely on the structure, status and achievements of its basic education, saying Kwara under AbdulRazaq has heightened the standards and glory of basic education through heavy investments in school infrastructure and human capital development.
“You will agree with me that Kwara State has achieved immensely under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in our basic education which has therefore transformed its standards and restored the public confidence in public schools. This is evident in the way our pupils/students are making us proud in all the competitions they have participated,” the Chairman added.
The close session of the competition that was broadcast live on Radio Kwara, was well-attended by government officials, parents and education stakeholders, some TIC Chairmen and other dignitaries, including Chairman Kwara Assembly Committee on Education, Hon. Baba Soliu Boriya; Special Assistants on Religion Affairs (Islam) Ibrahim Danmegoro, and Rev. Timothy Akangbe (Christianity); representative of the State Commissioner for Communications Dr. Fatima Amuda; State NUT Chairman Comrade Oyewo Bashir; and PTA Chairman and first Makama Ilorin Alhaji Ibrahim Oniye.
Among the royal fathers in attendance were Owa of Eruku Oba Busari Ayinde Olarewaju; Oloke-Opin of Oke-Opin Land Oba E. D Ajibola; and Asolo of Isolo Opin Oba Sunday Raphael.
Adaramaja said the quiz was put together to celebrate the participating schools and students who have, for the past five months, worked so hard to attain academic excellence, describing them as another good ambassadors of basic schools of the State.
Adaramaja, who recalled the last Presidential Schools Debate Championship in Lagos, where Kwara Contingents clinched the first position, said there are several instances to prove the efficacy of the government’s investments in the sector since the last three years.
“Let me inform this gathering that the Governor has approved sums of N500,000, N300,000 and N100,000 as prizes for the First, Second and Third positions respectively,” he said.
He thanked the Governor for the unflinching support and every prize he gives out to encourage hard work and excellent performance among pupils of government-owned schools in the State.
The Governor had also given the Champions of the last Presidential Schools Debate competition held in Lagos Scholarship Award to University level apart from handing to the students the cash prize of #500,000 each for making the State proud.
The government, at the grand finale, also awarded N100,000 to Aishat Zakari, another Junior Secondary School student who turned out victorious at the recent National Quiz Competition on Mathematics, an event that took place in Abuja.
She was declared the Queen of Mathematics, having come First in the North Central and Sixth in the whole Nigeria in that Competition.
Kwara NUT Chairman, Comrade Oyewo Bashir, said the quiz has succeeded in showcasing the excellent performance of teachers in the classrooms, applauding the organisers and the present administration for their commitments so far.
Callers on the live programme took turns to hail the school pupils for exhibiting talents that are symbolic of a positive development in the public school system in Kwara, urging the present administration to continue in that direction.
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