The Nation Newspaper

Tag: UBEC

  • EFCC detains UBEC contractor over alleged N20bn scam

    EFCC detains UBEC contractor over alleged N20bn scam

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained a contractor with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Prof. Adesanya Adelekan, in connection with alleged N20billion textbooks and science equipment fraud.

    The commission has also restricted the movement of a former Executive Secretary of the UBEC, Mr.Suleiman Dikko, to the country, pending the conclusion of the ongoing probe.

    Also, detectives have discovered the huge debt profile left by Dikko and his team in the UBEC through the anticipatory award of contracts.

    But the detention of the contractor was considered a breakthrough for the commission because the suspect had been evasive.

    A source in the commission said: “Adelekan was taken into custody on Thursday in furtherance of investigation activities into the alleged N20billion fraud in the UBEC involving the supply of science /technical equipment and textbooks to 104 unity colleges.

    ” Adelekan, who is the Managing Director of Macmillan Nigeria Publishers, remains in the custody of the anti-graft agency as of press time.

    “Adelekan had earlier made statements to operatives of the EFCC during which he promised to supply evidence of the execution of the contracts against claims by principals of the unity schools that they only received between 20 to 30 per cent of the equipment/textbooks purportedly supplied to them and for which the contractor collected full payment.

    “After he made statements, all efforts to get Adelekan to produce the evidence of performance failed as he kept making promises that he never fulfilled.

    “The principals had all made statements and they claimed they didn’t receive all the equipment and books listed against their schools.

    “All we wanted from Adelekan was evidence to justify the payments he received.

    “We are also hoping he will cooperate with us so we can wrap up this investigation on time.

    ” Apart from principals of the unity schools, the EFCC has also questioned a former Executive Secretary, Suleiman Dikko, and directors of the UBEC for their alleged role in the fraud.

    “The international passports of the contractor and that of the former executive secretary of the commission were impounded pending the conclusion of the investigation into the contracts which were allegedly executed between September 2012 and 2014.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “There are other allegations against Dikko and top officials of the UBEC, including many uncompleted projects, anticipatory award of projects which led to huge debts that almost crippled the commission.

    ” The EFCC has retrieved many documents from the UBEC.”

  • N11.4b spent on educating children with special needs-UBEC

    N11.4b spent on educating children with special needs-UBEC

    Over N11.4 billion has been disbursed to both State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB) and private providers of centres for children with special needs across the country since 2005 till date, Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, has said.

    According to him, the fund was part of the Special Needs Education grant, and that it was disbursed to facilitate inclusiveness in the provision of basic education in the country.

    He disclosed this at a meeting of UBEC officials with SUBEB desk officers and beneficiary private providers of special education for 2016 intervention fund in Abuja.

    The UBEC boss, who was represented by Deputy Executive Secretary (Services), Dr. Yakubu Gambo, said the commission has set aside two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to achieve this objective.

    According to him, over 250,000 schools and centres are being provided with funds annually to implement various categories of projects some of which include the construction of classrooms, renovation, learning and instructional material, among others.

    He added that the commission has been supporting both the public and private providers with money in order to ensure equity and inclusiveness in basic education in the country.

    Dr. Bobboyi said: “In order to achieve its objectives the UBEC management set aside 2% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund being FGN-UBE Intervention Fund to support states in the education of children with special needs.

    “The fund was meant for disbursement to all the 36 states and the FCT through their various universal basic education boards (SUBEB). Disbursement started in 2005, however, as implementation progressed, the roles and importance of private providers being reliable stakeholders were identified.

    This prompted the then UBEC board to approve their inclusion as beneficiaries of the 2% Special Needs Education grant.

    “The commission has since then been supporting both the public and private providers in that regard with a view to ensuring equity and inclusiveness in basic education. It is worthy to point out that a lot of successes have been recorded while outstanding impact and visible benefits have accrued to the subsector.

    “For instance, we have from 2005 to date disbursed over N11.456 billion to both SUBEBs (public) and the private providers that led to the construction of over 1, 565 classrooms, 11,324 sets of various furniture, 401,038 instructional materials, 6,942 aid/equipment.”

    The UBEC boss said the commission earmarked N1.5 billion in 2016 under its support funds alone in order to support the programme.

    He commended the stakeholders for supporting the teaching and learning processes of children with special needs in their schools and centres.

    “Under the 2016 support funds alone, the commission earmarked N1, 542,200.00 billion to support this programme. Out of this amount, N906, 813,600 and N388, 634,400 were approved for disbursement to public and private providers respectively, while N154, 220,000 is to be used for testing of vision and hearing among children in basic education institutions.

    “There is no doubt that your endeavours are assisting government in discharging its constitutional responsibilities of opening access and providing qualitative education to all school-age-going children in the country,” he added.

  • Southwest failed to access intervention funds in 2016, says UBEC

    Southwest failed to access intervention funds in 2016, says UBEC

    All the six states in the Southwest failed to provide the matching grant to access about N9 billion intervention funds released in 2015/2016 by the Federal Government for the development of basic education in their states, Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, has said.

    Dr. Bobboyi addressed reporters yesterday in Abuja on the development.

    He said only two states – Imo and Anambra – accessed the grant in the same year, while about N7.8 billion is lying idle at the commission.

    A breakdown showed that Lagos had N1,042,027,027.02; Ekiti N1,102,670,626.38; Ogun N1,918,783,783.78; Osun N1,042,027,027.02; Oyo N1,918,783,783.78 and Ondo N1,918,783,783.78 unaccessed funds in 2015/2017 alone.

    Of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), only seven states fully accessed their funds by matching the counterpart funding in 2015/2016.

    The states are: Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Rivers and Sokoto.

    About N36 billion still lies idle with the commission, he said.

    A breakdown showed that Southwest had N8,943,076,031.76; Southeast, N7,840,405,405.02; Southsouth, N5,316,279,7583.34.

    Others are: Northcentral, N8,274,583,332.18; Northwest, N2,161,399,927.75 and Northeast N3,473,453,423.13.

    Dr. Bobboyi said: “The Southwest, again, is a bit of a problem. It is a bit of a problem that needs to be addressed. The Southwest is the leader (of unaccessed funds) in this area.

    “In 2016, no single Southwest state accessed any funds; the region has a lot of unaccessed funds. It is something that worries one. It is something we need to work on. We have been trying to convince them of the need to access these funds.

    “We have been planning various advocacy visits to all the states on State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). We need to find out why. We need to discuss with all the executive governors to be more proactive in this particular area, especially by putting it as part of their budgets, to make sure they access these funds in the future without problems.

    “There were efforts here and there to see how to reduce the counterpart funding from states. A lot of governors have been pushing for that because of the hardship.

    “If the counterpart funding is reduced below a certain percentage, it is the states that are going to suffer because, usually, the counterpart funding may be the only funding that is available to the basic education sector in the state. So, reducing it will likely provide more difficulties in this regard.”

    Dr. Bobboyi said no states had accessed this year’s intervention because they believed the funds would not be made available till the first quarter of 2018.

    He said: “Very few states will want to access their 2017. Why? It’s because the disbursements are on a monthly basis. Therefore, they will want to wait until December 31 (2017) before they start accessing this fund by the first quarter of 2018. That is why you hardly find anybody making effort to access 2017 funds in 2017. Even if you pay your counterpart fund, you still have to wait till the end of the year as 2017 is still accumulating.”

    The UBEC chief said plans were in the pipeline to launch a national basic education sector plan by the end of next month.

    Dr. Bobboyi said: “By the end of September, we are going to have a National Basic Education Sector Plan that can move the basic education sector forward. I think this is very important for us as a nation to be able to put in all those key elements that we need to succeed within the basic education sector.

    “In the last five years, UBEC has been trying to do the national personnel audit that will look at the entire sector. But unfortunately, it is a process we started this year to ensure that by the end, we will know the number of teachers we have and the level of their qualifications within the system.”

     

  • Ambode to UBEC: formulate quality policy direction

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has urged the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to formulate quality policy for education commissioners to help them in the discharge of their responsibility.

    Ambode gave the advice when the commission members visited him at the state secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja, after their 18th quarterly meeting hosted by Lagos State Government.

    Receiving them on behalf of Ambode, Deputy Governor Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule said since primary and junior secondary is the foundation for higher education it was important for the commission to prioritise policies that can promote quality education.

    He said: “Since state governments depend largely on your advice and quality policy direction for the implementation of our programmes especially in primary and Junior secondary schools, it is essential that  your commission should try from time to time review our policies and  give useful advice and quality policy guidelines that can help us to implement sustainable educational programmes  that will fast track the growth of standard and quality education that will make our education rank among the best in the world.”

    UBEC Executive Secretary Dr Hamid Boboyi hailed Ambode for his “achievements in critical sectors like education, economy and health in the last two years”.

    According to Boboyi, the government has transformed the state through its urban renewal and infrastructure development projects.

     

  • Ex-Benue SUBEB chair, UBEC worker arraigned for alleged N97.5m fraud

    Ex-Benue SUBEB chair, UBEC worker arraigned for alleged N97.5m fraud

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday said it has arraigned a former Chairman of Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr. Iho Anum Achusa and a worker with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Abuja, Mr. Donald Orya Anagenda, for alleged N97.5million contract fraud.

    A statement by commission’s spokesperson, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, said the the accused persons were arraigned before Justice A.O Anum of Benue State High Court No.2, Makurdi, and are being tried for conspiracy, bribery and using their offices to confer corrupt advantage on themselves.

    They face a four-count charge of contravening sections 12, 18(d), 19 and 26(1c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

    The statement said:  “The prosecuting counsel of ICPC, Sunny Ezeana Esq and Abayomi Adepoju Esq averred that sometime between October and November 2013, the accused “conspired… to knowingly hold private interest in a contract awarded by Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to Brown Sugar Global Resources Limited for training of teachers on ICT to the tune of N97,500,000 and thereby committed an offence contrary to  Section 26(1)(c) punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000”.

    “The first accused, Mr. Donald Orya, while being in the employ of UBEC, Abuja was further charged for ‘’knowingly holding private interest in a contract awarded by SUBEB to Brown Sugar Global Resources Limited for training of teachers on ICT contrary to and punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000’.

    “The second accused, Mr. Iho Achusa was also charged for ‘’conferring corrupt advantage upon himself when he received N14,000,900 from the contract sum and committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000’’.

    Mr. Iho Achusa, while in the service of SUBEB, was accused of accepting the sum of N14,000,900 only from Donald Orya through Brown Sugar Global Resources Limited as reward for the contract he awarded to the company, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 18(c) and punishable under Section 18(d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

    Orya pleaded not guilty while Achusa, through his counsel, informed the court of his intention to challenge the competence of the charges brought against him.

    The judge granted the accused persons bail and adjourned till October 14.

  • Ekiti, Fayemi disagree over UBEC counterpart funds

    Ekiti, Fayemi disagree over UBEC counterpart funds

    The Ekiti State government has accused former Governor Kayode Fayemi of diverting N852.9 million State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) counterpart fund, which has denied the state access to N2.8 billion grant from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

    But Fayemi denied the allegation, saying “Governor Ayo Fayose’s financial recklessness and primitive approach to governance” should be blamed for UBEC’s sanction.

    A statement yesterday by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communication and New Media, Lere Olayinka, quotes the SUBEB Chairman, Bode Ola, as saying that Ekiti has been blacklisted by UBEC from accessing matching grants for 2013, 2014 and 2015.

    Ola claimed that UBEC Deputy Executive Secretary, Yakubu Gambo, told the Senate Committee on Finance during budget defence that the N852.9million counterpart funds were spent for other purposes.

    Ola said: “N852, 936,713.92 was paid into the SUBEB Access Bank account on January 14, 2014 as counterpart fund for 2012 UBEC projects and on this premise, UBEC released its Matching Grant of N852, 936,793.12 on January 3, 2013.

    “On October 8, 2014, eight days to the end of Fayemi’s tenure, the same amount of N852, 936,713.92 was transferred from the account of

    SUBEB, leaving a sum of N9, 139,691.40 as credit balance in the account.

    “This was done without the knowledge and approval of UBEC and because of this misappropriation, UBEC blacklisted Ekiti State and this has made it impossible for us to access Matching Grant for 2013, 2014 and 2015.

    “UBEC, in a letter dated April 16, 2015, described the withdrawal as criminal act that violated Section 11(2) of UBE Act 2004 and conveyed its suspension of Ekiti State from accessing any further FGN-UBE Intervention Fund.

    Defending his integrity, Fayemi in a statement by his media aide, Olayinka Oyebode, said it was unfortunate that the Fayose administration would falsify discussions that took place on the floor of the National Assembly, all in the bid to justify its ineptitude.

    According to him, Gambo did not accuse the Fayemi administration of misappropriation of UBEC fund but gave details of development that led to UBEC’s decision to sanction the state.

    He explained that the administration had taken a bank loan to be able to make available its counterpart funding to access the UBEC fund.

    But the bank withdrew its money when Fayemi lost the 2014 governorship election for fear that the incoming government might not honour the terms of repayment.

    “The Fayose government is to blame for this. Its crude approach to governance careless utterances and verbal threats to financial institutions shortly after the June 21 , 2014 election made many banks to review their relationships with the state.

    “It will be recalled that Fayose had called bank chiefs to a meeting shortly after the election and warned them that he was not going to repay any loan entered with the then outgoing government.

    “This development, coupled with his antecedence as a highly misguided and mischievous ruler, had made many financial institutions, including the one in question, to review existing relationships.

    “While government is a continuum, the Fayose administration had carried on in the last one and half years as if it is an island and lord unto itself with no regard for institutions.

    “The issue of diversion does not occur, the bank simply withdrew its support because of the negative signal it got from the Fayose administration. So, Fayose should be blamed for everything.”

  • Ebonyi clears six years UBEC fund backlog

    Ebonyi State government has cleared the backlog of six years arrears of its counterpart funds for the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) intervention scheme in the basic education sub-sector.

    Executive Chairman, Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board, (EBSUBEB), Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, who disclosed this in Abakaliki, the state capital, while distributing over 100,000 education materials  worth millions of naira to Junior Secondary School pupils in the state, attributed the payment to the priority Governor Dave Umahi places on education.

    He reiterated the Board’s resolve  to run with the Governor’s vision of improving access to education for Ebonyi children.

    Flagging off the distribution, the wife of the governor, Mrs Rachel Umahi said the gesture was part of government’s policy to improve the quality of education in the state.

    Mrs Umahi, who enjoined the pupils to take their studies seriously by making judicious use of the materials, advised teachers to ensure transparent distribution and effective usage.

    Represented by the chairman of Ezza North Local Government Area (LGA), Mrs Nora Aloh, Mrs Umahi promised to monitor the distribution.

    Some of the items distributed included textbooks on Basic Science, Basic Technology, Computer Science textbooks, library resource materials and ECCDE textbooks.

    Others are desks, teachers’ tables, A4 braille papers, textbooks on core subjects for 56 nomadic schools and three generators.

  • Sokoto gets N876m from UBEC

    •Absentee head teachers suspended 

    Sokoto State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has so far accessed N876 million from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for the 2015 intervention funds.

    Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Faruk Shehu, told reporters that the funds would boost infrastructural development in schools.

    “We are highly pleased to have accessed these funds provided under the commission’s 2015 provisions.  It will go a long way in complementing the efforts of the state government.

    “These funds will be used to shore the provision of basic infrastructure to all the primary and junior secondary schools in the 23 local governments of the state,” he said.

    According to him, the money would be used to construct new structures, renovate dilapidated ones, as well as provide assorted furniture to the schools.

    Shehu added that the board would only engage competent and pious contractors to execute the projects.

    “We will also organise sensitisation workshops for all our registered contractors and intimate that the board will not condone the execution of shoddy projects. We had since read the riot act to all supervising engineers and anybody found to have received any form of gratifications from the contractors would be sanctioned appropriately,” he said.

    Meanwhile, two headmasters were suspended by the board, while 87 primary school teachers’ salaries for this month would be withheld for absenteeism.

    The Executive Secretary, Alhaji Faruk Shehu, announced the suspension when he addressed reporters shortly after paying unscheduled visits to some primary schools in Bodinga Local Government of the state.

    He said that the headmasters were absent during his visit to their schools.

     

  • NUT condemns poor funding of primary schools

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers on Sunday criticized state governments over the poor funding of primary schools in the country.

    The union said it was alarmed by revelations from the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr. Suleiman Dikko, that states could not match the 40 per cent Federal Government grant allocated for the implementation of Universal Basic Education programmes in states.

    The NUT Secretary-General, Obong Obong, in a statement issued in Abuja, said the union considered the development a serious indictment on the states, stressing that this best described the lack of concern by the governments in the development of public primary education in the country.

    According to the union, this explains why Nigeria could not meet the expected target of Education For All by 2015.

    The NUT noted that FG over the years has set aside two per cent of its Consolidated Revenue Fund to ensure quality public primary education in the country, describing as regrettable, the states’ inability to access their allocation due to failure to provide needed matching grants as their requisite counterpart funding.

    The union described it as a disservice to development of primary education across the country, adding that the situation has degenerated to a point where school pupils in some states receive their lessons under trees.

    “The union hereby calls on all state governors to take urgent steps to access the available funds lying idle at the UBE Commission and use same to address the problems in their primary schools.

    “It is only by so doing that they would have shown some level of concern towards the upliftment of status of primary education in Nigeria,” NUT stated.

  • Osita Iheme, ‘Pawpaw’ turns author

    Osita Iheme, ‘Pawpaw’ turns author

    THIS is certainly one gist that will stun fans of popular comedic actor, fondly called Pawpaw. The actor, whose real name is Osita Iheme, has written a book to motivate students to achieve beyond their perceived limits.

    The book, ‘Inspire 101, is a collection of inspirational quotes by the celebrated actor. It was reviewed by Prof. Pat Utomi, comedian, Ali Baba and Dimgba Igwe.

    According to reports, Osita has also received the approval of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to print and distribute copies of the book to schools in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT Abuja). And it is also expected to form part of their library and research materials.

    Speaking on his effort, the actor said: “I pray and believe that the ‘Inspire 101’ (book) will have a direct positive impact on students and any other person that reads it. It is the fragment of my thoughts and beliefs that drove and elevated me from my ‘not too comfortable background’ to a better person in the society. People can move from the background of lack and insufficiency to become a beacon of hope and inspiration to others. As role interpreters, our fans erroneously believe that what we act in movies depicts our true beings, but this cannot be the truth. ‘Inspire 101’, which is a compilation of my original quotes, is a peep through the window of my soul.”