NSUBEB  Chair  Set Up  Probe Committee  Over Alleged Diversion Of Agric Entrepreneurship Funds

Rabiu Omaku

The Executive Chairman of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), Dr. Kassim Muh’d Kassim , has constituted a committee to investigate the alleged diversion of funds allocated for the training of primary school pupils in chicken and rabbit rearing, among other agricultural entrepreneurship programmes.

Dr. Kassim constituted the committee on Tuesday, with Fatima Shaibu Ahmed, a permanent member of the board, as its Chairman.

The board had released funds for the training of pupils in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, covering twenty-six selected primary schools in the State. Each selected school received nearly two million naira; however, upon investigation, the chairman found no evidence of the training, emphasizing the importance of self-sustenance for the pupils.

Speaking during a meeting with 39 Desk Officers undergoing training on Agriculture Education at the Local Government Areas (LGAs), Dr. Kassim stated that he cannot tolerate the diversion of public funds intended for agricultural programs. He vowed to utilize the board’s legal unit to recover the misappropriated funds.

Dr. Kassim reiterated his mandate to revive primary schools, stressing that he cannot allow them to deteriorate. He expressed concern about the quality of education, citing the inability of pupils to read or write as an indication of ineffective teaching. To address this, he plans to reintroduce quiz competitions in primary schools to assess teaching quality.

Furthermore, Dr. Kassim emphasized the importance of attendance, warning that truancy will not be tolerated. He instructed headmasters and headmistresses to teach and prepare lesson plans and notes for pupils.

He advised teachers to take their jobs seriously, acknowledging Governor Sule’s efforts to improve the welfare of primary school teachers by ending percentage payment and ensuring timely promotions. This development has paved the way for the approval for the recruitment of  4,800 new teachers.