The Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti State, Hon Bisi Kolawole has promised to restore the lost glory of the State in the education sector.

Kolawole, said in a meeting with a group of retired Secondary School teachers in Ekiti State on Monday, that it was worrisome that Ekiti State came first in National Examination Council (NECO) Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination in 2016 and 2017, came 9th in 2020.

According to a statement by the Bisi Kolawole Campaign Organisation (BKCO) Spokesman, Lere Olayinka, the PDP governorship candidate assured that Ekiti State will return to the top position in education it was during the PDP government of Ayodele Fayose.

Kolawole said “Even the performance of the State in West Africa School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) has not improved from the 11th position that it moved to in 2016 from 34th position that it was in 2014.

He assured that “teachers in the State will be adequately motivated, with their welfare prioritized as it was during the government of our leader, Ayodele Fayose.”

The PDP governorship candidate said “it should be placed on record that during his first tenure, Governor Kayode Fayemi met Ekiti State performance in WASSCE at 33 per cent. The performance went down to 22.9 per cent in 2012, 29 per cent in 2013 and 25 per cent in 2014.

“However, in 2015, a year after Fayemi left office, Ekiti’s performance rose from 25 per cent to 33 per cent, 42 per cent in 2016 and over 70 per cent in 2017 and 2018.

“Ekiti State came from 10th position in NECO in 2015 to 1st position in 2016 and 2017.

“Ekiti State also represented Nigeria at an International Schools’ Debate Competition in Singapore and produced the best student in the Genius Illumina International Competition, came first in the National Junior Water Price Competition in Sokoto State and the 2016 edition of Inter-State Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN)’s National Quiz Competition.

“Also, Ekiti produced the overall best student in the 2016 STAN, the Junior Engineers Technologists and Scientists (JETS), Inter-State Science Quiz Competition, the ANCOPPS South West Debate Competition and the best in the March 2017 Young Nigerian Scientist Presidential Award held in Abuja.

“Can all these be said of our dear State now? The answer is no. But there will be another turnaround the moment PDP takes over power in the State on October 16, 2022.”