Again, FG Scores Rivers High On BESDA Implementation … RSG Recommits To Equitable Access To Education

Again, the Federal Government has scored the Rivers State Government high on its commitment towards the implementation of the Better Education Service Delivery For All (BESDA) programme across the state.
This commendation is coming as the state Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB) is set to graduate another 60,000 second batch pupils of the programme.
The Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of Services at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Abuja, Dr Isiaka Olajinka Kolawole, made the commendation when he led a team of UBEC officials from Abuja to monitor the implementation of the BESDA programme across the three senatorial districts of the state.
Kolawole told journalists after the monitoring exercise at the State Primary School, Choba in Obio/Airport Local Government Area, yesterday, that the essence of the visit was predicated on three cardinal areas: ascertain the status of implementation; identify challenges and provide solutions; and provide technical support to the state government to enable it access the $600million World Bank Basic Education Support Fund.
He said the basic objectives of the World Bank’s BESDA support programme was designed to enhance equitable access to education by the out-of-school children, enhance literacy in basic education as well as strengthen accountability in basic education.

“BESDA programme is doing very fantastically well in the state;RSUBEB has done well in its implementation. I must commend the state government and the executive chairman of the board for their excellent performance.
“With what we have seen on ground across the three senatorial districts, the state is doing well”, he stated.
According to him, the $611million World Bank grant was designed to help drive the development of basic education across states so that average Nigerian child will be a better person in future, and the future of the country will become secure.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB), Ven Fyneface Akah, said the visit was a routine inspection by the UBEC officials to ascertain the level of implementation of BESDA programme in the state, adding that Rivers was among the 17 benefiting states of the programme.
Akah disclosed that thestate SUBEB would soon graduate 60,000 pupils for the second batch, adding that the board graduated 36,000 pupils from the programme, last year.
According to him, about 1,823 BESDA centres have been established across the entire states, adding that the visit was to ascertain the claims of the board in line with the programme.

“We have challenges in terms of our spread; we have the oceanic and upland areas. Some of these border the oceanic areas, each time they visit; they hardly reach to the oceanic communities. We are succeeding because Governor Nyesom Wike is maintaining and affirming what we are doing here. He is education-friendly governor, and he is not interfering with the fund we are getting from the World Bank”, he stated.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has scored the Rivers State Government high on its commitment towards the implementation of the Better Education Service Delivery For All (BESDA) programme across the state.
This commendation is coming as the state Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB) is set to graduate another 60,000 second batch pupils of the programme.
The Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of Services at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Abuja, Dr Isiaka Olajinka Kolawole, made the commendation when he led a team of UBEC officials from the Abuja to monitor the implementation of the BESDA programme across the three senatorial districts of the state.
Kolawole told journalists after the monitoring exercise at the State Primary School, Choba in Obio/Airport Local Government Area, yesterday, that the essence of the visit was predicated on three cardinal areas: ascertain the status of implementation;identify challenges and provide solutions; and provide technical support to the state government to enable it access the $600million World Bank Basic Education Support Fund.
He said the basic objectives of the World Bank’s BESDA support programme was designed to enhance equitable access to education by the out-of-school children, enhance literacy in basic education as well as strengthen accountability in basic education.

“BESDA programme is doing very fantastically well in the state; RSUBEB has done well in its implementation. I must commend the state government and the executive chairman of the board for their excellent performance.
“With what we have seen on ground across the three senatorial districts, the state is doing well”, he stated.
According to him, the $611million World Bank grant was designed to help drive the development of basic education across states so that average Nigerian child will be a better person in future, and the future of the country will become secure.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB), Ven Fyneface Akah, said the visit was a routine inspection by the UBEC officials to ascertain the level of implementation of BESDA programme in the state, adding that Rivers was among the 17 benefiting states of the programme.
Akah disclosed that thestate SUBEB would soon graduate 60,000 pupils for the second batch, adding that the board graduated 36,000 pupils from the programme, last year.
According to him, about 1,823 BESDA centres have been established across the entire states, adding that the visit was to ascertain the claims of the board in line with the programme.
“We have challenges in terms of our spread; we have the oceanic and upland areas. Some of these border the oceanic areas, each time they visit; they hardly reach to the oceanic communities. We are succeeding because Governor Nyesom Wike is maintaining and affirming what we are doing here. He is education-friendly governor, and he is not interferingwith the fund we are getting from the World Bank”, he stated.

By: Akujobi Amadi