The disbursement done in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday is the first phase of payment to the teachers who have applied and completed their screenings for the Scheme which is the first of its kind to primary school teachers in Nigeria.
Distributing the cheques, the State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi said the gesture is in furtherance of his administration's commitment to the welfare of teachers and the education sector; saying that "no truly progressive society should treat the welfare of teachers with levity".
The Governor who stated that teachers "identify and nurture leaders" noted that the State is blessed with a crop of teachers who are willing to work to reposition the state's education sector to 'its former place of pre-eminence' in the country.
"There is no extent of adulation that is sufficient to appreciate the role of teachers in our society. I, like all men and women all over the world with great hearts, acknowledge the positive turn of our lives and careers to God, our parents and the diligent exertions of great teachers who shone the light of sound education and moral upbringing on our life paths, equipping us with the knowledge and life skills to achieve our God-given destinies", he said.
On the Loan, Governor Fayemi explained that he had last year directed the constitution of a committee to fashion out the modalities for the immediate disbursement of the loans to teachers.
He commended the State Universal Basic Education Board under the leadership of the Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu for "scoring several firsts in many aspects".
While urging members of the SUBEB Loans Board to ensure fairness and equity in the application of the criteria for qualification for the loans disbursement, the Governor advised the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the loan.
In her remarks, the executive Chairperson of SUBEB and Deputy Governor, Prof. Adelabu commended the state government for giving out the loans despite the paucity of fund being experienced across the country.
Adelabu who stated that the investments of the government have been yielding the desired dividends disclosed that one of the teachers and a pupil in the State have bagged the Presidential Teachers Award for the year.
She urged the benefitting teachers to reciprocate government's gesture by ensuring that the educational interest of pupils is given priority attention.
Best teachers in each of the sixteen local government areas of the State were rewarded with a laptop computer.
The computers were donated by the Ministry of Local Government Affairs to complement government's gesture of appreciating the teachers.
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