Kwara State Re-enlisted By UBEC Seven Years After
BY TEMI OHAKWE – ABUJA – Seven years after it was blacklisted from the scheme, the Kwara State Government has received N7.2 billion as grant from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who announced this via his Twitter handle, said the money accessed covers the period between 2014 and 2019.
According to him, “This money would be spent in phases over the next two years to fix up to 600 elementary schools out of the over 1400 decrepit basic education facilities across the state.
“It will also be used to equip the schools with ICT tools, training of teachers, and project evaluation, among other purposes contained in the UBEC work plan.
“I am happy to inform you that after 7 years of being blacklisted by UBEC, we are back in their good books and we have received N7,151,142,190 grant,” he said.
The Governor further disclosed that to be re-enlisted on UBEC beneficiary lists, the state repaid the sum of N450m that was diverted by the previous administration.
He further said; “The N7.1bn is accumulation of UBEC grants that were not accessed between 2014 and 2019. The money was not accessed because the former administration failed to pay its own counterpart funds”
“This development has taken Kwara State out of the bottom position in the ranking of states with highest figures of outstanding UBEC grants”
“The pitiful state of basic education infrastructure in the state is a reflection of the failure to access UBEC funds and the near-zero investments in the sector over the past few years,” AbdulRaham noted.
