Ekiti: Fayemi abolishes levy, declares free education

Ekiti state governor, Kayode Fayemi, has abolished the education development levy introduced by the Fayose government.

Fayemi, while speaking during a thank you visit to Ekiti South and North senatorial district headquarters, Ido and Ikere, stated that it was an anomaly for school children to pay tax.

Recall that the Fayose administration had introduced the highly controversial Education Development Levy in 2015; and its payment was mandatory for students of public and private schools in the state.

The new governor wondered why underage children should be mandated to pay levies while their parents already pay taxes. He said his predecessors’ government had traumatized parents by its non-payment of salaries; and stated that his government would not add to their burden.

He said: “Education is now free up to the secondary cadre in Ekiti state. Our children would no longer pay tax in both public and private schools. “When we were in government before 2010 and 2014, we ran free education until when the last administration came and said school children should pay tax.

“By the grace of God, by December this year, we are also going to introduce school feeding from primary to Junior Secondary 3 as part of the benefits we will get from the federal government.”

He further urged the people of the state to vote for the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket in 2019; stating that it is only the continuity of the current federal government that can bring about the realization of all projects promised for Ekiti.

He stated: “President Buhari has promised Ekiti a lot of goodies and the only way Ekiti can benefit, is for us to win Ekiti for him.”

Fayemi, a former minister of Mines and Steel formally took over the reins of power as governor of Ekiti state on Tuesday, October 16, with a vow to probe the administration of his predecessor, Ayo Fayose.

While delivering his inaugural address after taking his oath of office at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado Ekiti, Fayemi said the state had been in the throes of underdevelopment and financial crisis as a result of bad governance.