Victoria Mgbanwa
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has revealed that only about two percent of the consolidation Revenue Funds (CRF) of N103.2 billion appropriated amount for 2023 has been utilized.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, made this known on Monday in Abuja during an oversight visit by the House of representative committee on Basic Education and Services to the Commission.
He Emphasized that the sum of N21 billion of the N51.6 billion appropriated was accessed by 16 states making it 41 per cent as at June 30.
He said, “Out of N103.2 billion appropriated amount for 2023, being two per cent of Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), the sum of N55 billion was utilised.
“This is being total expenditure under UBE implementation, matching grant, educational imbalance, special education and monitoring and programmes funds as at June 30, 2024.Thus showing 54 per cent utilisation.
“For the 2023 matching grant disbursement status, the sum of N21 billion was accessed by 16 states out of N51.6 billion appropriated, representing 41 per cent as at June 30,”
The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on universal Basic Education and services, Hon. Mark Bako Useni explained that the oversight visit was a fruitful interaction.
“We have had a very robust interaction with the Executive Secretary and the leadership of UBEC.
“It is part of our routine activity as a legislative committee that we oversight the agencies that we work with under basic education. It has been a fruitful interaction.
“Members have had opportunity to ask questions that bother on the activities of UBEC as far as the implementation of the 2023 appropriation is concerned. So I can simply describe it as a fruitful engagement,” He said.
Speaking on the amendment of the UBEC act he said it has been long overdue,
“This is an act that has been in place for nearly 20 years. Now, from the time the law came into force till today, we have passed through several stages of development, So you cannot hold on to one thing over the years, And even in the face of challenges, we have seen challenges in the implementation.”
‘”Now if we do not amend the act, that means this challenge will continue to be there.
But if the act is amended, and there are measures taken to make sure that we overcome unaccessed funds, those measures will be put in place in the amendment to make sure that going forward, we don’t have such challenges again.
“Our laws are made in a manner that they can be reviewed and amended, They are all geared towards making sure that implementation”, he added.
