Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has reacted to the controversy generated by the compulsory test, which the state directed teachers to write, saying it was not a ploy to victimise or sack anybody, but to enhance the quality and knowledge base of teachers.

Governor Fayemi said: “I organised an education summit when we came on board. The summit, which was chaired by late Professor Sam Aluko, came out with recommendations. The quality of our teachers was part of it.

“Teachers are not in their best shape. Generally speaking, if we provide all the enabling facilities we have promised and we don’t have quality teachers, then there is problem.  A school in Ado-Ekiti that used to score 90 percent in WAEC, scored 9 percent in 2012.

“There is no way anybody can convince me to play politics with the lives of our children. I don’t have anything against the teachers. That’s why I’m not going to bow down on the test issue.

“Employees have a pact with their employers. Ekiti is not the only state that will introduce test. It was done in Kwara and Bayelsa. It is not about retrenchment.”

He said his administration decided to obtain N25 billion bond from the capital market to fund the provision of basic infrastructure needed in repositioning the state.

He said N5 billion had been used to offset debt, adding that “N20 billion is what we are using on basic projects. On roads construction, we have expended N12 billion. We have no room for capital expenditure in our monthly allocation.”