Lagos needs N60bn to revamp public schools- Ambode
…Reveals plan for A-Meal-A-Day programme
…Says N10bn already spent on rehabilitation
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has said that his
administration would require about N60billion to give public schools in the
State a befitting facelift as well as set up new schools especially in the
riverine areas.
The Governor, who said this during an interview with
journalists, said though his administration has spent about N10billion in the
last 22 months to boost the quality of education in the State, there was still
a lot to be done in the sector.
He said the State Government had carried out a study last year
on the interventions needed in public schools and the construction of new ones,
assuring that the funds set aside in the 2017 budget for education would be
judiciously put to good use.
“The result showed that we need about N60billion to put our
schools together. But we have started the massive rehabilitation of our schools
last year and you can go round to confirm. We expended about N10billion trying
to put the worst set of schools back in place.
“This year, a major intervention is also going to take place
from our budget to see that at least let the existing schools even compete
favourably with the private sector schools. That is the whole idea. I went to a
public school and I must give back. Then, some of our riverine areas don’t really
have schools. If you go to Ilaje and other places, there are no schools there
and you see people taking canoes to go to school. So, that intervention is what
we are also doing this year to see that there is continuous capital expenditure
in public schools,” Governor Ambode said.
He said over 2300 qualified teachers have also being employed
and posted across the various primary and secondary schools in the State to
improve the performance of students, which according to him is already yielding
results.
Explaining the delay in the take off for the A-Meal-A-Day
programme, the Governor said his administration was working towards a
sustainable plan for the programme to cater for the eventual take off.
He said that since the programme was a combination of resources
from the Federal Government in partnership with State Governments, it was
pertinent that the necessary funds to be provided to prevent hiccups after the
take off.
“Yes, it was in our manifesto but again in practical terms, we
are still on it. The number of students in Lagos and the budgetary provision
also do not really match for us to start. I don’t like a situation whereby we
come out for two to three months and then stop.
“I will like to sustain it when we start and don’t forget also
that the project is a combination of resources from the Federal in partnership
with State Governments. So, obviously in terms of provisions and resources, we
in Lagos think we should have a long drawn sustainable plan and that is why we
have not started it. What I can assure the people is that we are working on
it,” Governor Ambode said.