Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara on Monday approved immediate payment of the N450million to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) that the previous administration had diverted from the UBEC funds.
A release from the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, said the payment would enable the state to be readmitted to access fund from UBEC to improve basic education in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the approval came a few days after UBEC officials narrated how the previous administration had diverted the N1.5bn 2013 funds allocated to Kwara.
UBEC narrated how that had led to the official blacklisting of the state from funding by the commission.
Ajakaye said the governor signed the documents approving the refund of the N450m during a meeting with the Permanent Secretary for the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Bayo Onimago and Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Finance, Benjamin Fatigun in Ilorin.
“The payment of the N450million was a precondition for readmitting Kwara back to the UBEC after a five-year ban under the Abdulfatah Ahmed’s administration,” Ajakaye added.
Rafiu said one implication of the payment of the N450million is that the state can now access UBEC funds worth over N5billion once it pays the counterpart funds.
“The situation before now was such that Kwara could no longer approach UBEC because the previous administration diverted the 2013 funds.
“The governor has put that ugly chapter behind the people of Kwara State,” Ajakaye added.
NAN reports that Kwara currently ranked 37th or the lowest on the UBEC Matching Grant Disbursement Performance. (NAN)
