Edwin Jarumai, the Director of Administration and Supply, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has urged the Oyo State Government to do the needful in accessing its outstanding N2 billion fund with the commission.
Jarumai, who represented the commission’s Governing Board Chairman, Dr Mohammed Abubakar, stated this in Ibadan on Friday during a visit to the Executive Chairman of Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Nureni Adeniran.
He said: “We went to some schools, and I must say we are impressed by the spate of work being done.
” We call on Oyo state government to please do the needful to access all categories of fund with a view to promoting basic education in the state.
“Oyo State Government has an unaccessed matching grant of N2,088 billion between 2005 and 2018, while the Special Needs Education grant of N83.1billion budgeted within 2005 and 2019 is also pending.
“Likewise, the state government is expected to access an outstanding Teachers’ Professional Development fund of N554 billion allocated between year 2009 and 2018.”
In his response, Adeniran said the state would leave no stone unturned to ensure every grant for the promotion of education in the state was accessed.
“Government will ensure that Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board benefits from every unaccessed fund at UBEC.
“If accessed, the funds would be channeled into the development of education in the state, thereby encouraging enrollment in public schools across the state.” he said.
Adeniran said the board would also involve education stakeholders in addressing the menace of out-of-school children in the state.
Lamenting the increasing number of such children, Adeniran promised that the state government through the board would involve all stakeholdersnsuch as traditional rulers, parents and educationists to ensure an aggressive enrollment of children in public schools.
The chairman promised that the 2018 UBEC/SUBEB projects would not be sited based on political considerations, but on needs of each school.
“Gov. Seyi Makinde is committed to education in this state and he considers that basic education is pivotal to the development of the state. Therefore, politics will not be a yardstick in siting schools.
” Rather, we will consider each school’s needs.
” The Oyo State Government will stick to replicating model schools in the state. This, in turn, will promote education in the state,” he said. (NAN)
