WAEC ranking: Fayemi challenges Fayose to debate

By Rotimi Ojomoyela
Ado-Ekiti

Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDF) governorship candidate, Mr Ayodele Fayose, got his facts twisted over his comment that the level of development of education in the state has nose dived.
Challenging Fayose to a public debate on the level of development of education since he assumed office as governor of the state, Fayemi asserted that his government has improved the level of students’ performances in external examinations and improved the welfare of teachers contrary to Fayose’s claim.
Fayemi made the statement in Okeoro Ekiti in Ijero Local Government while reacting to allegation from Fayose that the rating of Ekiti in public examinations has nosedived since he came on board.
Fayose, while addressing party supporters in Ikere Ekiti on Monday, said the state was ranked 8th in WAEC before he left in 2006, expressing regret that the standard had witnessed a downward trend to as low as 35th among the 36 states of the federation under Fayemi-led regime.
The governor said going by his background, he knew the value of education having studied hard to acquire a doctor of philosophy degree, saying unlike some people he did not pick his higher certificate on the street.

“I challenge my good brother, Mr Ayo Fayose, to a debate on the academic records when he was the governor and what obtains now that I am governor. You can check out the entire parameters, teachers when he was governor were earning N7,500 minimum wage.
“Then, there was no rural teachers’ allowance. No core subjects allowance. No capacity building programme. There was nothing teachers could write home about. Though, Fayose might be distributing N500 and Ankara as tangible and concrete tools in an enduring manner.

“You can go beyond that and go to the tertiary institutions then. It was Fayose  that cancelled the College of Medicine in Ekiti State University, go there now and compare the quality of education in the state university .

Fayemi also dispelled the rumour that the social security for elderly, where elder statesmen above age 65 received a monthly stipend of N5,000 had been in operation before he assumed office.
He also promised  to  expedite action on the construction of Okeoro-Ilukuno-Ipoti road  to bring development to the axis.