The Amount For The Renovation Of Secondary Schools Is N1,498,538,999.11bn Not N1bn-Nasarawa Education Commissioner

Rabiu Omaku

Nasarawa State Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Fati Jimeta Sabo has confirmed that the amount released for the renovation of Secondary Schools destroyed by either rainstorm or windstorm in 2018 was N1,498,538,999.11bn not N1bn.

The Commissioner gave the disclosure this when she alongside with the Permanent Secretary, Director Research, Planning and Statistics, current and past Director Finance and Supply, Schools Services and Cashier were invited to answer questions over the unaccounted N1.4bn.

Fati explained that the ministry was in receipt of N195m by the State Government to pay and mobilize contractors to site, she confided that the ministry received N50m in November 2019,N19m in February and N15m in March,2020.

The Commissioner asserted that the entire project were not capture in the handover note between her and the immediate past education Commissioner who happened to be the incumbent Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Tijjani Aliyu.

“205 projects were captured in 69 schools” she further maintained.

The Director Research, Planning and Statistics during a question and answer session attested that 109 projects were completed.

The former Director Finance and Supply in his submission buttressed that he was under duress by the accounting officer to pay contractors huge amount of money without abiding to financial regulations.

“I was under pressure in the cause of discharging my obligations as DFA”.

The Director Schools Services, Bekky Nasara during her examination failed to give satisfactory information of Schools that were completed instead listed Government Girls Science School Garaku as one of the schools renovated from the N1.4bn.

“52 schools yet to be completed,45 yet to commence work and 109 were completed” she explained.

Usman Abu, the present Permanent Secretary of ministry in his submission said he was not in the ministry when the approval and release was made.

The Chairman of the committee, Hon.Daniel Ogazi said God would not forgive those that are thwarting with the future generation yet unborn if we remain mute when things are wrongly.

Ogazi commended the erstwhile Governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura for leaving behind N5.4bn in the treasury of ministry of education, saying this gave room for the smooth and solid school projects cut across the State.

The Cashier also confirmed that 180 contractors were paid 30 percent to 40 percent while 25 contractors are yet to collect their monies.

With what we saw in GSS Mada station, Bassa, BAD and other 88 schools is inhuman

He described public schools in Nasarawa State as cowshed, making life unbearable to both teachers and students, adding that Government schools are in a sorry condition.

In a related development, the committee on education directed the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board to take action against the twenty teachers that were absent during the visit of the committee at GSS Kurmin Tagwaye in Wamba Local Government.

The principal said the school has a total number of 39 teachers as against the 42.

According to him, “twenty were present during your visit, three are on study leave, four women are on maternity leave while 9 appeared before the House, and he in addition said one got appointment outside the State.

The affected teachers are

1.Abdullahi Haruna Sambo

2.Fati Ibrahim

3.Rabi Shuaibu

4.Lami Sunday

5.Yamusa Inusa

6.Josephine Francis Kuje

7.Oguche Emmanuel

8.Lilian Embugushiki

9.Doom Abel.