Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has assured the management of the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC), of transparency and judicious use of funds, stressed that the educational policy of his administration was driving by the zeal to give back to the society.
Engineer Sule made this known while hosting the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, who led a delegation on a courtesy call, at the Government House, on Wednesday.
The Governor assured UBEC that his administration will not be involved in any under the table dealings but that it’s guided only by the zeal, determination and support to give back to the society.
While highlighting some of the administration’s interventions in the educational sector, Engineer Sule however noted that a functional primary education system, which he said was necessary for laying solid foundation towards educating the children of the state, was lacking generally across the country.
For this reason, the Governor informed the UBEC officials that his administration budget 26 percent of the budget of the state for education during its first year, jerking it up to over 30 percent in the current year.
According to Engineer Sule, without foundational education, his administration may not likely achieve its objectives in the sector.
“It’s not just about building structures, it’s actually about getting the right people, right tools, right curriculum, that is there, so that these children that we have should have been brought up with foundational education,” he stated.
The Governor commended the immediate past administration of Senator Tanko Al-makura for its interventions in the education sector, particularly building infrastructure, as well as inroads in Information Communication Technology (ICT), especially setting up of the Bureau for Information Communication Technology (BITC), e-libraries and JAMB examination centres.
Engineer Sule used the opportunity of the visit to thank the UBEC Executive Secretary, for the support and interventions in the state, especially the relocation of the North Central zone office of the commission to Nasarawa State, as well as the siting of the zonal special school in Lafia.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, Executive Secretary of the UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, said they were in the state to inspect progress of at the ongoing construction of zonal special school in Lafia, the state capital.
Dr. Bobboyi thanked the Governor for the hospitality given to the UBEC zonal office, by providing them all the facilities to effectively discharge their responsibilities.
The UBEC Executive Secretary was accompanied on the visit by two of the commission’s board members representing the North Central zone, Director of Physical Planning of UBEC, Mr Wu Chang, Head of the South Korean International Development Agency (KOIKA), as well as officials of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), led by its Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Danazumi.
