By Godfrey AKON
The Universal Basic Education has carried out a defence of its proposed N108,101,599,701.00 budget earmarked for the year 2022 before both cambers of the National Assembly.
The proposed amount, which is expected to be deducted from the 2 per cent Consolidated Revenue Funds, CRF, is aimed at consolidating the achievements of the last five years through the education for change policy of President Muhammdu Buhari.
A statement by UBEC’s Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Mr David Apeh, said the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, and the entire management team was at the National Assembly for the budget defence.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Prof Julius Ihonvbare, has commended UBEC for its proactiveness especially in the area of project implementation and monitoring across the states.
Ihonvbare also cited Gombe and Lagos as exemplary states that have been consistent in project and programme implementation.
While making enquiries from the commission on programme implementation in the 2021 appropriation, Other members of the Committee decried the level of negligence, especially in completion of projects in some states by SUBEBs.
They however expressed satisfaction with the implementation of activities and programmes of UBEC in the 2021 budget, while expressing its willingness to partner with the commission in naming and shaming defaulting states, especially states that have failed to access their counterparts funds, and those that are poorly implementing projects across their states.
The committee also proposed to seek the consent of the Minister of Education to use percentage of the counterpart funds for the building of libraries, fencing of schools and the provision of water supplies to public schools.
