By FLORENCE ONUEGBU
One-day Governor of Lagos State, Ms Jemimah Marcus, has called for more funding for the education sector, to ensure better learning environment and experience.

Marcus made the call in Lagos on Monday, when Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yielded the seat of authourity to her, for a brief moment to step in as one-day Governor of Lagos State.

She said that more funding would cater for more schools, especially in those areas were some students learn under harsh circumstances.

She harped on the need to invest more on digital literacy across public schools in the state, urging Sanwo-Olu to ensure that the metropolitan fibre being laid across Lagos dropped in public schools as promised.

The 17-year-old student of Angus Memorial Secondary School, Somolu, Lagos East, also solicited for support for her parents to help realise her future dreams.

Marcus, an Edo indigene won the 2020 edition of the Spelling Bee Competition, thereby earning the honour to become the one-day governor.

Presiding over the cabinet meeting, Marcus commended the Sanwo-Olu led administration for initiating laudable programmes through the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda, to turn around governance and service delivery.

She described Sanwo-Olu as a “transformational leader”, who had recorded giant strides in education, health, housing, infrastructure renewal, transportation, youth and women development in the last two years of the administration.

“Mr Governor, I commend your team for excellent leadership and being proactive in critical sectors. In education, the state government has embarked on revamping schools and delivering new ones to improve access.

“This effort has been complemented with massive innovative programmes, such as EKO EXCEL, Lagos Learns Together, Read Loud, EKO Digital School, and job initiative.

“These laudable programmes have impacted on students, teachers and the out-of-school learners, as the initiatives have improved teaching and learning with excellent outcome.

“With the deployment of technology, I can say teaching techniques across Lagos schools are no longer what they used to be.

“The success of these programmes are evident in the performance of students in their academic,” the one-day governor said.

She described the one-day governorship as a “dream come true”, and praised Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, for the legacy programme.

The Spelling Bee competition, a contest between public schools across Lagos, is one of the legacy programmes in the state education sector, pioneered in 2001 by the then First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu through her New Era Foundation.

Since 2015, the state government has taken full charge of the programme, collaborating with partners and stakeholders to further help realise its objectives.

Responding, Sanwo-Olu said that the one-day governorship programme was one of the ways employed by the state to raise future leaders.

He said that the initiative had given winners the opportunity to improve in their learning, and also expose them to rudiments of public administration.

“I am delighted to say that the competition has been achieving its desired vision and objectives. The organisers will be following up on your future endeavour to ensure you acquire the right leadership skills and become responsible citizens.

“Your success at the competition is an encouragement for us to do a lot more, especially in education.

“We will ensure that your teachers are given the right encouragement, so that they can continue to impart quality knowledge across our various schools,” Sanwo-Olu said.

In the company of the Spelling Bee winner is the first and second runners-up, Ajose Sotin, 17, of Topo Senior Grammar School, Badagry, and Edeh Rhema, 19, of Nawair Ud-Deen Senior High School, Oyingbo.

Prior to their attendance of cabinet meeting, the Spelling Bee winners were taken on a tour of government’s offices, building and governor’s official residence. (NAN)

•PHOTO: L-R; Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Winner of the Spelling Bee Y2020 competition & the One-Day Governor, Miss Jemima Marcus of Angus Memorial Secondary School, during the One-Day Governor’s visit, at the EXCO Chamber, Lagos House, Ikeja, on Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. (NAN Photo)

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