With the responsibility of compliment funding for basic education in the country, UBEC has been alerting that some state governments are not accessing their funds.
MARTIN PAUL writes.
The disclosure
Recently, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), at a forum with education editors, raised the alarm that state governments were lackadaisical in accessing the consolidated funds for the development of basic education system of their respective states.
Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Ahmed Bobboyi disclosed that over N71, 044,302, 460.73 billion matching grants are stashed in the Central Bank un-accessed by state governments.
Bobboyi said although some states accessed their funds up to December 2016, allocation for 2017 would only be accessed in the first quarter of 2018, stating emphatically that such has been the routine.
The over N71, 044,302, 460.73 billion include N 27, 087, 554, 918, 56 for the 2017 intervention year, which had not been opened for states to access.
He explained that as parts of rules and regulations, access to the funds is opened in the first quarter of the next year, disclosing, however that some states had already indicated readiness to access the 2017 funds.
He commended Borno, Jigawa Katsina, Sokoto Rivers for accessing their intervention funds up to 2016 and to others that had been dilly darling to rise to the challenges of improving on basic education system in their states.
The breakdown
Giving a break down, the executive secretary said in 2005 and 2006, every state including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) accessed their funds, with only N1.38k left, while Borno accessed its fund to the last Kobo, bringing the balance to N50.
67k.
Between 2007 and 2008, only Bauchi failed to access N4, 865, whereas every state collected their allocations having paid the counterpart fund based on N1, 464, 797 as allocated for the year.
Similarly, between 2009 and 2010, the sum of N1. 153, 903, 587.26 was provided as matching grant and every state accessed their fund, leaving the FCT with a meager 68k un-accessed.
The story of un-accessed funds started predominantly between 2011 and 2012, when Abia stated failed to access N26, 430, 896. 96 of the N1, 725,464,020.62 matching grant for the period.
Statistics at our disposal showed that Ekiti state had N527, 306.70 un-accessed, Kwara and Nasarawa states had N1000 each, Niger state N5, 000,000, bringing the total of amount left behind for that period to N31, 960,201.
28.
Although not very palatable, many states accessed their funds, but a total of N 6, 873, 557, 523.92 Kobo, as at the time the statistics was released, was not accessed.
The data showed that Ebonyi could not access N952, 297,297.30, followed by Edo with N476, 148, 656.64 and Enugu with N1,557, 422, 376.78, just as Ogun has N956, 297,297.30 like Ebonyi state.
Report reaching Blueprint stated that some states have been struggling to access their backlog, but Ondo state never access a kobo from the N1,983,094,594.
60 being the matching grant for the period, even as Oyo state is still having its N952,297, 297.
30 hanging with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
In the 2015/2016 intervention year, statistics shows that N1, 916, 783,783.78 consolidated revenue accrued to all the states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
UBEC scribe disclosed that Abia, Beyelsa, Edo, Enugu, Kogi, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo and Plateau states, never accessed a dime from the N1, 916, 783,783.78, as at August 18th, 2017.
However, Adamawa is having N1, 042, 027,027.02; Akwa Ibom, which hitherto has been in the forefront of accessing its fund has N434,658, 131.80 and Anambra has N1, 042,027,027.02 unaccessed funds for the period under review.
Similarly, Cross River has a paltry sum of N2, 027,027.02; Delta N1, 042,027,027.02; Ekiti, N1, 102,670,626.
38; Gombe and Imo with N1, 042,027,027.02 each.
Kano and Kebbi states are having N2. 027,027.02 and N1,042,o27, 027.02, respectively, while Kwara and Lagos are having equal amount of N1, 042, 027,027. 02 unaccessed.
The statistics shows that Nasarawa state is yet to access N434, 177,926.54; Taraba N N1, 042,027,027.02; Yobe N347, 372, 342.02; Zamfara N1, 117,345, 873.71and FCT N1, 042,027,027.28.
Kudus is, however, given to Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Katsina, Rivers and Sokoto states, which have accessed their funds at 100 per cent for the period in review.
Total amount accrueables per state
The overall analysis shows that with the 2017 inclusive, Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom and Anambra would access N2,677,310, 758; N1,774,123,107.
28; N1,166, 754,216.
06 and N1,774,123,107.
28 respectively in 2018 when the portals are open in the first quarter.
With the N732, 096, 078.88 allocated for the 2017 intervention year, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue and Borno would access N732,100,946.96; N2,650,879,864.04; N1,774,123,1`07.28 AND n1, 774,123, 107.28 respectively.
In the same way, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi and Edo, including outstanding unaccessed fund, would, by 2018 have their amount increased to N734, 123,107.28; N1,774,123,107.28; N3,603,177,161.24 and N3, 127,028,520.68, respectively.
Ekiti, Enugu Gombe and Imo states are having accrued funds of N1,835,294,013.34; N,208,302,241.
82; N1, 774, 123, 107.28 and N, 177, 123, 107. 28.
A total of N732,096, 080.
22 is awaiting Jigawa and Kaduna because they have zero unaccessed fund, while Kano and Katsina would access N734,123,107.
28 and N732, 096,080.
25 as a result of little differences in amount not accessed before the 2017 allocation.
The data also shows that Bebbi, Kogi states have N1, 774, 123, 107.28; N2, 650, 879, 864.04; N1,774, 123,107.
28 for , Kwara and Lagos, just as Nasarawa has N1, 166, 275, 006.80; Niger N2, 655, 879,864.04 awaiting access.
Ogun state would be expected to access N3, 603, 177, 161.34; Ondo N4,633,974,458.64; Osun N1, 774, 123, 107.
28; while Oyo has its N3, 603, 177, 161.34 waiting access.
The statistics also shows that Plateau state would access N 2, 650, 879, 864.
04, while has N732, 096, 080.
26; Sokoto with same figure with Rivers and Taraba N1, 774, 123, 107.
28.
Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT, are having N1, 079, 468, 422,.
33; N1, 849, 441, 953.
97 and N1, 774, 123, 108.
21, respectively waiting their access.
Conditions for access
The UBEC Act provides that a state would qualify to access the yearly intervention fund on payment of a counterpart fund accruing for the period allocation.
It also stated that a state would have show evidence completion of the previous projects, presents proposal for a new project before a new allocation could be approved.
The journey so far
Between 2005 and 2017, the commission has received matching of N364, 023, 776, 000.00 and had disbursed N292, 872, 888,647.47 between 2005 and 2007.
As stated above, disbursement of the 2017 grants would commence from the first quarter of next year.
However, the disturbing trend is the fact that while pupils are still learning under trees and thatch building, this money is lying un- access, while in some cases, state governments convert to money to other usages.
Performance Evaluation
UBEC statistics also shows that five states of Borno, Rivers, Sokoto Jigawa and Nasarawa are top performing states, while 24 and FCT are categorised are performing, five as average performing and Enugu and Ondo as non-performing states.
