N53.6bn UBEC intervention funds yet to be accessed –FG

Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike
| credits: File copy

The Federal Government on Thursday raised the alarm that about N53.6 billion has not been accessed by some states under the Universal Basic Education intervention grants.

The government however stated that its intervention in tertiary education has greatly improved access such that universities in the country can now admit over 1 million candidates.

The Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, stated this in Abuja at a forum to present a ministerial scorecard of the education sector under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

While lamenting the inability of some states to access the UBE grants for intervention in the basic education sector, he said prior to the establishment of 12 new federal universities in each of the nation’s geo-political zones, the existing universities could only admit a paltry 400,000 candidates, leaving almost 2 million candidates who might have emerged successful in their entry level examination to their fate.

Wike said despite criticisms on the part of the Federal Government that adequate funds were not being injected into the sector, N53,617,254,621.53 billion had not been accessed by the federating states because of their reluctance to produce their matching grants before accessing that of UBEC.

Among the highest defaulting states are Adamawa, Abia, Benue, Cross Rivers, Oyo, Plateau and

The Minister said, “The Federal Government is concerned with basic education which falls under the purview of the states because if the foundation is faulty, you cannot succeed in building any structure. Despite criticisms, this present administration has spent several billions to support states in educating pupils with special needs these past few years.”

At the event which drew participants from all tiers of the education sector, Wike said over N21 billion went to states for teachers’ capacity building, adding that an average of N588 million went to each state for such purpose.

On expansion in the technical education sector, Nwike said N12.8 billion went into the construction of laboratories and other learning infrastructures between 2010 and 2013.

Wike slammed parents who send their children to Ghana and other neigbouring countries for tertiary education, saying they were ignorant of the massive transformation in the sector since the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Also speaking, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, criticised the north for the current security constraints facing the nation, adding that rather than play politics with the security issue, concentration should be on maintaining peace which will in turn foster development.

According to Maku, the north was lagging behind educationally, a trend, he noted, was making the south and western parts of the country take all the glory.