UBEC Accuses State Govt. Of Failing To Fund Basic Education

The Chairman, Governing Board of the Universal Basic Education Council, Prof. Adamu Usman, has accused state governments of allegedly abdicating the responsibility of funding basic education in their states to the council.

Usman disclosed this in the weekly bulletin published by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board which was made available to News correspondent in Abuja on Monday.

According to the UBEC chairman, states do not appear enthusiastic about funding basic education as they fail to pay their matching grants.

He further accused the states of failing to utilise the funds appropriately.

“Primary and junior secondary education is the primary responsibility of local and state governments” he noted.

“Unfortunately, a good number of states do not appear enthusiastic about funding basic education.

“As such, they do not always access their matching grants from UBEC and when they do, they fail to utilise the accessed funds expeditiously.

“UBEC is merely an interventionist agency created by the Federal Government to assist states to discharge their primary responsibility of delivering quality, uniform, world-class basic education throughout Nigeria.

“However, the situation is such that a good number of states want to abdicate their primary responsibility of funding basic education to UBEC which function is only interventionist in nature.”