Ezekwesili Accuses Govs of using UBE Funds to hire thugs and praise singers

Former Minister of Education, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, yesterday, accused state governors of using the funds meant to increase access to basic education under the Universal Basic Education (UBE) funds,  in their states to hire thugs and praise singers for elections.

Ezekwesili who was lead speaker at the 3rd Lagos Education Summit organised by the State Ministry of Education, held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, which had as its theme “Qualitative Education in Lagos State: Raising the Standard” traced the fallen standards of education to some governors.

Ezekwesili, who flayed the partisan approach of some state governors, who  she stressed that they  channel the funds earmarked for recruiting teachers under the UBE scheme to hire thugs and praise singers.

According to her, when the UBE was launched “to increase access to basic education, there was demand for more teachers in all states of the federation. The Federal Government responded to the challenges by providing funds for recruiting more qualified teachers. At the end, some state governors used the fund to recruit praise singers and thugs during the electioneering campaign in 2007”.

She lamented the absence of analyses, data and researches, citing a case of how the Department of Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Education was turned to contract-awarding department before her appointment.

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