By Philip Yatai
THE MINISTER of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the FCT Administration is investigating the activities of its Universal Basic Education Board (FCT UBEB).
Wike disclosed this when the management of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), led by its Executive Chairman, Dr Hamid Boboyi, visited him in Abuja on Thursday.
He explained that the probe was necessary because he was not satisfied with the management of the board’s affairs.
He added that the development was partly responsible for the delay in the appointment of substantive directors for the board.
“We are not quite satisfied with what we saw in the board. There is no full briefing on its activities so far, and we cannot allow that.
“We are renovating numerous schools and I wanted them to tell me the schools they have renovated so far,” he said.
The minister said that the FCT Administration has awarded contracts for the renovation and equipping of schools in the territory, saying: “You cannot talk about quality education when the schools are in bad shape.
“There is also the issue of qualified teachers, but the physical structures must be befitting for our children to learn.”
He urged the UBEC management to intensify campaigns to mob-up out-of-school children roaming the streets across the country.
Responding to the commission’s land request, the minister explained that land allocation now goes with a condition.
He said that UBEB must sign an agreement with FCTA, demonstrating financial capacity to begin development of the land immediately and stating when the land would be fully developed.
He added that failure to meet the agreed terms, FCTA would take back the land and give it to another institution that has the capacity to develop it.
Wike said that the decision became necessary on discovering that institutions get land allocations but keep them for 15 to 20 years without development.
He added that others build shanties on allocated lands, which attract criminals and become problems to the city.
“Equally disturbing is that others will get the land allocations and sell, instead of developing them.
“I don’t know how you can convince us that you truly want to build houses and not to go and sell our lands,” he said.
Earlier, the UBEC boss commended Wike for the ongoing construction and renovation of schools to improving the quality of education in the FCT
He equally lauded the Minister for enhancing critical infrastructure, particularly road networks to ease mobility.
He reassured the minister of UBEC’s unwavering commitment to improving the quality of basic education in the country.
Boboyi explained that the visit was to appeal to the Minister to approve the commission’s application for land to build offices and housing for workers, submitted since 2021. (NAN)
