The Edo State government has begun moves to identify its officials involved in the N283 million frauds uncovered in the just concluded First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) Examination in the state.
The state executive council headed by Governor Godwin Obaseki took the decision to fish out the officials during its weekly meeting Wednesday after receiving preliminary report on conduct of the examination held in July.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Mr. Paul Ohonbamu, said it was unanimously decided that those responsible for generating the false figure from Ministry of Education be identified and made to face the consequences.
He told newsmen that “a memo was sent to the governor for the conduct of the FSLC exam where N283 million was earmarked for the exams, which eventually took N30 million.
“The governor is not comfortable with this and directed that those responsible for the disparity must be identified and brought to book.”
Ohonbamu said it was resolved at the council that the law setting up the State Universal Basic Education Board must be applied to the letter to allow for a vibrant Basic Education system in Edo.
He said that other resolutions reached at the end of the State Executive Council meeting included resolution to embark on the distribution of treated Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets which should commence on Friday.
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He added that Senior Assistants and Senior Special Assistants were directed to drive the distribution process in their various wards and local government councils.
In another development, the Governor on Wednesday inspected the 450 hectare maize farm, a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative of his administration with Saro – Agro Sciences Ltd to accelerate the mainstreaming of agriculture in the state’s economy.
Speaking to journalists after a tour of the farm located in Sobe, Owan West Local Government Area.
Obaseki who was accompanied by top government officials and the Managing Director of Saro Agro-Sciences, Mr. Oluwole Adeyegbe, urged youths in the state to embrace the initiative which would enhance their socio-economic status.
He expressed satisfaction that the first phase of the agriculture initiative was a success, noting that the second phase would commence in other parts of the state in the next planting season.
He added that the Acting President has promised to commission the fertilizer blending plant in Auchi which is an integral part of the Accelerated Agriculture initiative designed to create jobs in the state.
“We flagged off our Accelerated Agriculture initiative three months ago and this maize farm is a product of the initiative. There were few challenges encountered by the farmers and we will go back to the drawing board to ensure that there is significant improvement in the next phase”, the governor said.
He further said that his administration adopted the Public Private Partnership business model so that the youths for whom the programme was created can leverage on the expertise of major players in the agricultural sector and grow into big players themselves.
END.
