Education
UBEC Confirms N41bn Un-Accessed Fund For 36 States, FCT
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), had said a total of N41.06billion matching grant in its coffers has remained un-accessed by the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory as at March 8, 2021.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, made this known during an oversight visit to the commission by the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, yesterday in Abuja.
He said about N143billion matching grant was accessed by states and FCT from 2017 to 2020, out of the N184.8billion that was made available by the commission.
“30 states and FCT have implemented 2018 (matching grant projects), six states namely; Anambra, Imo, Kaduna, Kwara, Ogun, and Plateau are yet to implement, eight states have implemented 2019 matching grants projects, 28 states and FCT are yet to implement. In 2020, no state implemented the matching grants projects,” he said.
While saying that no state has accessed the 2020 matching grant, Bobboyi said “only Ogun State is yet to access its 2018 allocations while 10 states have not also taken delivery of their 2019 grants as of March 8, 2020.”
He listed the states to include Kebbi, Niger, Ogun, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, Abia, and Lagos but added that Abia, Lagos, and Kebbi had in a few days lodged their payments.
Bobboyi, who lamented the several challenges bedevilling the basic education sector, said “UBEC was appropriated N29.7billion in the 2020 budget for capital projects with N1.3billion for Federal Teacher Scheme; Constituency Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIP) N2.8billion and Constituency projects (Capital) – N25.6billion.”
He, however, said that “only N29.75billion (99.2 percent) was released to the commission as at December, 2020.
“With the capital releases, the commission awarded contracts to the tune of N27.5billion for 2,895 constituency projects across the country”, adding that “939 of such projects have been completed while 1,956 are ongoing”.
He said the projects cut across classroom construction, classroom renovation, and supplies of education items.
Earlier, the acting Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, said the team was at UBEC to assess its activities in line with the mandate of the Senate.
“UBEC is a major agency under this committee because the foundation of education begins with UBEC. If we miss it at that level it will be difficult to get it right,” the Akwa Ibom’s born senator said.
On his part, a member of the committee and former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, described as” an embarrassment the 13.4 million out-of-school children in the country.”
He called for the establishment of emergency schools in the northern parts of the country to tackle the problem.
Also speaking, former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Umaru Al-Makura called on UBEC to establish special schools in all the states in the country.
Education
Hardwork, Unwavering Focus Key To Success -VC
Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Prof. Nlerum Okogbule, has tasked newly admitted undergraduates to be hardworking and be more focused to their academic works as this, among others is key to success.
Prof. Okugbule also warned students to desist from joining secret cults, and engaging in examination malpractices, among other vices.
The Vice Chancellor stated this in his address at the 42nd matriculation ceremony of the university for the 2023/2024 academic session, held at the convocation arena in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
According to Prof. Okogbule, a total of 9,035 were formally admitted into the university.
“Today, a total of 9,035 candidates, who have satisfied the minimum requirements for admission into various programmes of the university are being formally admitted as students.”
The breakdown of the new students and their faculties is as follows: Faculty of Agriculture – 360 students ; Basic Medical Sciences – 1,085; Communication and Media Studies – 1,061; Education – 606; Engineering – 1,271; and Environmental Sciences – 268.
Others are: Humanities – 755; Law – 250; Management Sciences – 816; Science – 1,814 and Social Sciences – 479 respectively.
The Vice Chancellor added, “You are therefore expected to take your studies seriously and do not waste your valuable time on unproductive ventures or activities.
“Let me inform you that this university has zero tolerance for all forms of anti-social activities, such as membership of secret cult groups, examination malpractices or what is now known as ‘sorting.’
“The penalty for involvement in any of these activities is rustication from the university, and I do not waste time in doing this once a student is found culpable.”
Okogbule, however disclosed that RSU Students’ Affairs Directorate has a list of ‘registered and acceptable clubs’ the students can belong to in the university to assist them in extra-curricular activities on campus.
He advised, “In order to encourage academic excellence, the university has a policy of declaring as University Scholars those who attain a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 5.00 at the end of every academic session.
“The university will be responsible for the school fees of such students provided their CGPA does not fall below 4.50. In addition, such students, upon graduation, will be given preference when employment opportunities are available.
“The expo I will give you in this regard is that it is easier to make the 5.00 CGPA in 100 level of any programme. So the best time to strive to achieve this feat is now.”
He pointed out that RSU, among others, has become top choice higher institutions in the country for many students, following the infrastructural development and the non-disruption of academic activities in the institution for several years, saying, “Freshers should count themselves lucky to have been admitted there.”
While commending parents and guardians whose children are matriculating for their vision and sacrifices, Prof. Okogbule urged them to monitor their wards activities while on campus.
Education
Rector Gifts Best Students N400,000 As Edo Poly Matriculates 9,150
The Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State last Friday matriculated 9,150 new students into various courses of study offered at both National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) levels.
This was as the Rector of the institution, Engr. Dr. Man Yahaya Sani gave the sum of N200,000 cash gift each to two National Diploma students with the highest Cumulative Grade Point Average.
The students are; Waliu Babatunde Bamidele from the department of Library and Information Science and Babatunde Joshua Ifeoluwa, a student of Mechanical Engineering, both with a CGPA of 3.98.
Sanni in his address, said the management is committed to providing an all-round education in a conducive, friendly teaching and learning environment.
The Rector noted that only 59.5% of candidates who signified interest to study in the Polytechnic were eventually admitted.
He added that the polytechnic had secured 18 new programmes at both the National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) levels, taking its total to 64 programmes.
The Rector admonished the new intake to emulate the recipients of the cash gift and avoid bad companies that can lead them to violate the rules and regulations of the institution and jeopardise their admission.
“My dear matriculating students, I want to congratulate and welcome you all for finally making it here despite the tedious and rigorous processes that you passed through. You indeed struggled to scale the hurdles of Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) and of course our own Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (POST-UTME) Screening before gaining admission to this prestigious Polytechnic.
“I must not fail to tell you loud and clear that the Polytechnic has zero tolerance for cultism and other sundry anti-social vices i.e. riot, looting, arson, disobedience, examination malpractices, drug abuse, drunkenness, cheating, disrespect for constituted authorities, indecent dressing etc.
Education
Bill To Increase UBEC Funding Passes Second Reading
A bill for the amendment of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC Act to increase its funding from the consolidated revenue from 2 per cent to 4 per cent has passed the second reading in the House of Representatives.
The Chairman of House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Bako Useni, stated this during the committee oversight function at the Digital Resource Centre, built by UBEC, in Abuja, Nigeria.
The centre was built for the training of teachers on digital education in Nigeria.
Bako said the 10th Assembly saw the need to increase financial resources to the basic education sub-sector for set objectives to be further met, hence, the amendment bill sponsored by Muktar Shagaya to increase revenue accruing to UBEC from 2 per cent to 4 per cent.
“The amended bill, which passed the second reading on Wednesday, when concluded, will make UBEC stronger.
“Since UBEC was established in 2004, to date, a lot has been achieved. However, the House felt that if UBEC is motivated with more funding, it will go a long way in achieving more of what it has achieved.
It was on this basis that one of us, Honourable Mukhtar Shagaya, proposed an amendment to the UBEC Act to increase funding to UBEC from 2 per cent to 4 per cent from the Consolidated Revenue Fund,” he said.
used to reshape those in the senior and management cadres of the basic education sub-sector.
The National Coordinator of the Digital Resource Centre, Professor Bashir Galandanci, said the Digital Resource Centre is part of the effort of the commission to transform the agency into a digital era.
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