Governor Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, Monday approved the immediate payment of the N450m allegedly diverted by the previous administration of Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, to clear the way for the readmission of the state to a scheme meant to improve access to basic education.
The approval is coming few days after UBEC officials revealed how the previous administration allegedly diverted the N1.5b 2013 funds allocated to Kwara and how it led to the officials blacklisting the state from UBEC.
Governor Abdulrazaq signed the documents approving the refund of the N450m during a meeting with the Permanent secretary for the Kwara state Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Bayo Onimago, and Permanent secretary for the Ministry of Finance, Benjamin Fatigun,in ilorin, the state capital.
The payment of the N450m was a pre-condition for admitting Kwara back to the UBEC, after five years under the watch of former Abdulfatah Ahmed-led administration.
While lamenting the ‘criminal neglect’ of the education sector and the decrepit state of infrastructure in a statement on Sunday, Abdulrazaq had said, he would immediately pay the N450m in the interest of the children, restore Kwara’s relationship with UBEC and commit whatever funds accessed only for the purpose which it was meant.
Rafiu Ajakaye, spokesman of the governor, said one implication of this crucial step was that, the state could now access UBEC funds worth over N5b once it paid the counterpart funds.
“The situation before now was that Kwara could no longer approach UBEC because the previous administration diverted the 2013 funds, which sullied the name of the state.
“Now the governor has put that ugly chapter behind the people of Kwara state.
“Kwara currently ranks 37th or the lowest on the UBEC matching grant disbursement performance,” the statement noted.
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