Benue to inject N5.6 billion into school projects

By Jimin Geoffrey

The Benue State government through the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, is to inject over N5.6 billion naira into the Primary and Basic Education.

Governor Samuel Ortom who disclosed this today while briefing staff and management of the SUBEB at the Board’s headquarters in Makurdi said N609 million from the 2018 Universal Basic Education Board, UBEC intervention is to be matched with same amount by SUBEB to access N1.218 billion for use by SUBEB.

According to him, the State Government had also accessed additional N2.2 billion from a bank to pay as counterpart to access same amount at UBEC, which brings the total to N4.4b for the 2019 intervention.

The Governor stated that the N5.6 billion would be used to further provide infrastructure and instructional materials in basic and primary schools, promising that more teachers would be recruited before the end of the year.

While inspecting 35,000 desks and chairs procured to be distributed to schools, the Governor stated that his administration would procure a court order to retrieve items that had been previously distributed but were stolen or destroyed by some persons.

He urged staff of SUBEB to redouble their efforts as he was determined to get things done within recorded time, lamenting that the staff needed to improve on their attitude and approach to work.

Commissioner for Education, Professor Dennis A. Ityavyar noted that so far, the state government had expended N14 billion naira on primary and Basic Education, saying more would be done.

Governor Ortom inspected ongoing renovation works at SUBEB headquarters, Arabic and Christ African Church Nursery/Primary Schools Wadata, LGEA Primary School Demekpe, UBE Junior Secondary School Tionsha and Holy Family Primary School Kanshio, all in Makurdi.