NASS must empower AGoF to enforce UBEC funding — Falana

HUMAN rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, yesterday, urged the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to empower the Accountant-General of the Federation to deduct from source the counterpart fund payable by every state government to the Universal Basic Education Fund, UBEC.

In his keynote address at the out-of-school summit, convened by the IA-Foundation, held in Lagos, Falana said by enforcing the counterpart fund payable by every state government to UBEC, it will eradicate illiteracy in the country.

He said: “In June last year, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Mr Hamid Bobboyi bemoaned the refusal of state governments to provide counterpart funding and access the annual matching grants given by the commission to develop their basic education system. The commission was particularly concerned that about N110 billion of the intervention funds accessed from UBEC were not utilised by the states in 2021, with the money left in the coffers of State Universal Basic Education Boards, SUBEBs. 

“Sometime in 2017, we learned that the Federal Government had decided to refund state governments all monies so far deducted from their accounts to meet the London Paris Club obligations. We were able to convince the Federal Government to deduct the counterpart fund that the state governments had failed to contribute to the Universal Basic Education Fund. 

“The suggestion was accepted by the Federal Government and that was how the sum of N71.3 billion was deducted from source and remitted to the account of the UBEC. 

“What the National Assembly should do is address the refusal of state governments to make counterpart contribution to the Universal Basic Education Fund pursuant to Section 2 of the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act. As a matter of urgency, the National Assembly should ensure the amendment of the Constitution to empower the Accountant-General of the Federation to deduct from source the counterpart fund payable by every state government to the Universal Basic Education Fund,” he said.

He, however, commended the founder of the IA-Foundation for her initiative and commitment to remove out-of-school children and have them enrolled in school. 


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