The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has ranked Kwara the lowest among states on the chart of UBEC Matching Grant Disbursement Performance as at April 30, 2019.
The performance chart of the states released by UBEC and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Monday, llisted Jigawa as first having accessed 94 per cent of its fund.
Ogun and Kwara were listed as non-performing having accessed only 53 per cent of their N12.04billion in UBEC.
Borno, Adamawa, Gombe State, Delta, Kebbi, Lagos, Osun, Oyo State, Rivers, Sokoto State, Taraba, Cross Rivers and FCT were listed as top performing state with 88 per cent of the fund utilised and remaining only N1.47billion yet to be accessed.
The 11 states of Kaduna, Anambra, Kano, Kastina, Ondo, Zamfara, Bauchi, Niger, Akwa Ibom, Yobe and Nasarawa were listed as performing states with 77 per cent of their funds utilised and remaining N2.1billion yet to be accessed.
Edo, Benue, Imo, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Plateau, Abia and Enugu State were in average performance rating with their performance index ranging from 71 to 59 per cent.
Reacting to the rating, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman, Rafiu Ajakaye said he was not surprised that Kwara was rated lowest in UBEC performance chart.
Ajakaye said the chart clearly vindicated the governor’s allegation that N1.5billion UBEC fund was diverted under the administration of Abdulfatah Ahmed.
He said the administration’s claim that it used the N1.5billion to pay workers’ salaries was untenable for an administration that received N22billion Paris Club refund and additional N3.4billion bailout funds.
“We regret to say that the last administration cannot be forgiven for the criminal neglect of the schools because the consequences are there for all to see.
“As at April 30, 2019, Kwara had the worst rating under the UBEC Matching Grant Disbursement Performance.
“This is written record. This is the legacy of the former governor and the PDP administration in Kwara State,” Ajakaye said.
He added that the former governor’s claim that he was unaware that the state was blacklisted was false.
Ajakaye said: “The diversion of the N1.5billion UBEC fund and the decision of the agency to bar the state from further dealings until diverted sums were paid is nothing but official blacklisting of Kwara State.
“UBEC officials made it clear that they investigated Kwara’s claim that it used the funds to pay workers and found same to be false.
“The UBEC position is further corroborated by the fact that at least 49 school projects captured under the fund were either abandoned or not started at all.
“It has been four long years since Kwara was blacklisted on account of the irresponsible diversion of the 2013 UBEC funds.
“Between 2015 and now, Kwara has received over N22billion in Paris Club refund and additional N4.3billion in bailout under the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
”Why didn’t they use part of that money to refund the N450million diverted from UBEC fund?
“If the future of the children means so much to the administration, why did it take so long to remedy an unfortunate situation that had occurred in 2015?”
