Date: 2016-12-03

The Kwara State Executive Council has approved the return of outreach programmes into the State College of Education, Oro and Kwara State College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies (CAILS).

Briefing newsmen on the outcome of State Executive Council meeting held on Thursday at the Government House, Ilorin, the State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Engineer Musa Yeketi said the government took the decision in view of financial challenges confronting the institutions.

According to him, the council took the decision following the white paper reports received after considering the recommendations of visitation panels to the colleges.

The Commissioner said the council directed the affected institutions to strengthen relationship with the schools running the outreach programmes in the colleges to resume the programme.

On the issue of nine hundred and seventy-one illegally recruited staff into the State Teaching Service Commission, Engineer Yeketi said the five principal officers found culpable would face disciplinary action while the affected staff would be deployed to different areas of needs within the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development.

He added that the appointment of four hundred and forty-nine legally recruited staff would be regularized.

Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Energy, Engineer Idris Garba said the council has approved the street light project tagged: Light up Kwara across the major roads in Ilorin metropolis with the contract sum of over six billion naira.

Engineer Idris said the project which would cover seventy-eight kilometres would be completed within six months from the date of commencement.

The Commissioner who explained that the project had been tested and reliable said the project would be financed through public-private partnership and run for ten years before being transferred to the state government.

He further added that the first phase of the project would cover all dual carriageways while the project would be extended to other cities under the second phase.