Ondo council chair gifts education materials to 1,000 pupils

As schools resumed in Ondo State on Monday, the Chairman of Akoko South-West Local Government Area of the state, Mr Ayo Ajana, gifted educational materials to no fewer than 1,000 indigent pupils in the council area.

The gesture was said to be part of the Back-to-School initiative of the council boss.

Distributing the materials to the beneficiaries, who are from 55 primary schools in the local government, on Tuesday at St Mary’s Catholic Mega Primary School, Oka Akoko, Ajana explained that the initiative was aimed at reducing the financial pressure on parents and encouraging children to remain in school.

According to him, some of the materials, including 30,000 exercise books and 1,000 school bags, among others, would be distributed to pupils in public primary schools across the council.

The council chairman said, “This programme is designed as an investment in the future of our children rather than merely a distribution of educational materials. The economic challenges confronting families are real, and any step we can take to reduce the cost of educating a child is a responsibility we cannot overlook. This initiative is about investing in the dreams, confidence and future of our children.”

The chairman urged the beneficiaries to use the materials judiciously, study diligently and respect their teachers and parents, assuring residents that his administration would continue to invest in education, social welfare, agriculture, youth and women empowerment.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers in the local government, Comrade Suuru Edward, commended Ajana for fulfilling his promise to prioritise education.

He said the intervention would ease the burden on parents and benefit pupils across the council.

Also speaking at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Scholarship, Mr Samad Orijeminiyi, lauded Ajana’s “catch-them-young” approach, saying the initiative could contribute to tackling the problem of out-of-school children.

“It will go a long way to address the issue of out-of-school children, which I consider one of the main challenges confronting our country. Of a truth, we can’t address the issue of insecurity unless we do our best to make education attractive to children,” he stressed.

He further challenged other local government chairmen across the country to emulate the initiative, opining that stakeholders must work together to ensure that children have access to education.