Benue State Government has purchased 35,022 chairs and tables for onward distribution to primary Schools in the 23 local government areas of the state.
This is the first batch of 61,000 chairs and tables the Ortom administration in collaboration with Universal Basic Education, UBEC, plans to distribute to Benue primary schools in the year 2020.
Governor Samuel Ortom who disclosed this on Thursday in Makurdi while flagging off the distribution of the plastic chairs and tables said the items were procured for the primary schools in the state through the UBE/Benue State Government intervention funds.
The Governor who reiterated his determination to prioritize basic education stated that his administration has renovated over 1000 primary schools and provided 30,000 desks and tables in the past.
“Today, we are distributing 35,022 chairs and tables to primary schools in the 23 local government areas.
“Investment in education is for development of society. I am passionate about it. That is why I am repositioning the State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB), to make it strong so as to meet the aspirations of Benue people”, he said.
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Ortom also stated that the process of hiring 5000 teachers will start soon, explaining that he wants to ensure that”we do not only have chairs and tables for children but good and competent teachers.”
He therefore charged headmasters, Community School Boards and traditional rulers to keep watch over the facilities warning that “no table or chair meant for schools should be found in people’s homes.”
On securing the new chairs and tables, the Governor further stated that he had directed the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to design a legal instrument to enable the Government to search the homes of those in the habit of converting the school furniture to personal use.
The Governor also reminded the people that COVID-19 is real and the best way to prevent the pandemic from spreading is adherence to measures such as social distancing, frequent hand washing with soap and avoiding public gatherings such as markets, burials, as well as religious and sporting events.
Earlier, Commissioner for Education, Professor Dennis Ityavyar and the Chairman of SUBEB, Joseph Utse, had commended the Governor’s giant strides in the development of basic education and the entire education sector in the state and pledged to support the government to succeed.
