Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has said that all his children
are products of Nigerian Universities, urging public office holders to
endeavor to send their children to schools in the country.
Governor Fayose, who was at Covenant University, Ota in Ogun State to
witness the graduation ceremony of one of his sons, Ayorogbayimika
Fayose, told journalists that there was no reason children of public
office holders should study in universities outside Nigeria, except in
cases where courses interested in were not offered in Nigerian
universities.
According to the governor’s Special Assistant on Public Communications
and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said; “We talk and do.
Whatever we say is what we practice. Apart from the fact that none of
children attended schools abroad, I have never travelled out of the
country for Medicare.
He said; Even though views of people like us might not be popular
among the powers that be because we say the truth and act the truth,
we won’t stop telling them what they do not like to hear and one of
such is that the only way to improve the standard of education in the
country is for children of holders of public office to experience what
children of ordinary Nigerians are experiencing in schools in the
country.
“During my first tenure as governor, I took my son from a private
school and enrolled him in SUBEB Model Primary School in Ado Ekiti.
“Today again, I am here to witness the graduation of my son and I
make bold to say here that none of my children attended tertiary
institution outside Nigeria.
“That should be the spirit not a situation where someone is the
minister of education in Nigeria and his children are schooling
abroad. And by enforcing this too, we will be saving Nigeria a lot of
foreign exchange being wasted on medical and academic tourism,” the
governor said.
While condemning what he described as the hypocrisy of some Nigerian
leaders, especially those in the All Progressives Congress (APC),
Governor Fayose said; “Even children of President Muhammadu Buhari
that they told us lived a modest life attended universities abroad.
Shouldn’t President Buhari have lived by example by enrolling his
children in universities in Nigeria?”
While reiterating his commitment to the uplift of education in Ekiti
State, Governor Fayose said; “We are after quality education and we
want to maintain our position as leaders in the education sector. We
are first in NECO examinations and we are among the best in WAEC and
the only industry in Ekiti State is education and we can’t afford to
let it depreciate.”
The governor also called on parents, corporate bodies and others to
support the government in the task of improving the standard of
education in the state.
