Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has described quality basic education as the fulcrum on which the success of education in Benue State revolves.
The Governor stated this when he received the members of the Governing Board of Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, in Government House, Makurdi during their state Advocacy and Sensitization visit.
The Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Benson Abounu, expressed the determination of the State Government to re-position Benue State, Universal Basic Educatiin Board and SUBEB to provide quality education to the Benue Child.
He further assured the UBEC Governing Board members that the state government would soon release its counterpart funds to facilitate release of the remaining UBEC Intervention Funds to the state.
Governor Ortom also expressed satisfaction with steps so far taken by Acting Executive Chairman, Mr. Matthew Mnyam, to sanitize Benue SUBEB and directed the State Ministry of Education to liaise with the Board to ensure supply of standard instructional materials to basic schools and to tackle the problem of pupils low retention rates.
Earlier, UBEC Board Member, Mr. Chris Hassan and the Commission’s Director of Finance, Mr. Mike Awule, said they were in the State to verify and assess projects carried out under UBEC/Benue State Government Intervention Funds as well as carryout advocacy and sensitization visits to critical stakeholders of basic education in the State.
The UBEC officials expressed satisfaction with the cordial relationship between Benue State Ministry of Education and SUBEB and revealed that the Commission recently launched School-Based Management Committee – School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP) in Kano which Benue is a beneficiary, to ensure grassroots management of School Self Help Projects.
They also called on the state government to access the remaining UBEC support funds to ensure development of school infrastructure and to tackle challenges confronting basic education in the State such as insufficient data for planning, teenage pregnancy, low enrolment, retention and completion rates as well as poor stakeholders participation.
