Abia Government has revealed that the 54 billion naira education funds expenditure which was reflected in the state’s quarterly reports are factual as published in the state’s informing website.
The state government has come under wild criticism from opposition parties and concerned Abians over the state’s quarterly reports that 54 billion naira has been spent on reconstruction and retrofitting of schools in the state.
Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Advisers, to the governor on Media and Publicity during a local radio program in Umuahia on Friday revealed that none of the funds have been fully disbursed to fund the schools reconstruction and retrofitting projects.
In his words: “Non has started because the processes are on, the processes of doing the right thing… the most important thing is that there’s no project that we started that we didn’t do and there’s no project that we have approved and work stopped while ongoing, this is the most important thing. We don’t throw money out…”
Ekeoma revealed that 225 schools from 184 wards in the state have been selected to be reconstructed and retrofitted and will all be completed in 2025.
While explaining the uncertainty of contractors, Ekeoma said “the government is also avoiding a situation that will lead the contractors to borrow to complete their projects because it will definitely have a ripple effect on the government, for the contractors will certainly come back for project revaluation which will thus lead to a supplementary budget.
“Don’t forget that we already budgeted a certain amount that will be spent, so if you don’t advance and these people go and borrow, they will pay interest and they will definitely come for revaluation”. Ekeoma said.
He also added that the 54 billion naira budget has started running does not mean that all spendings begins immediately.
On the standards of schools to be built, and the quarterly expenditure as documented in the states spending reports, Ekeoma said “the government promised and planned to have modern school components such as staff quarters, library and fenced school environment for security reasons.
“Because we did not want to spend recklessly, that first quarter, second and third quarter, we spent very little, by the time it was obvious that most of the designs of these assessments and everything being completed, the government will now advance to the contractors in the fourth quarter.
“There’s nowhere the government stated that we have finished all the schools, we said we were going to build.” Ekeoma said
He said the government has advanced some stages of implementing the school projects and the schools are going to be built.
“We have started payment in doing some which of course why we make reference to BTC, Afara Technical, they are technical schools and it’s intentional because there’s no way you will build technical schools when you don’t have technical teachers. There are lots of measures that the government is putting in place”.
Ekeoma also recalls other government’s policies in education to boost service and welfare such as increase in retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years and monthly running costs to heads of schools to stop extortion from pupils and students.
In boosting compliance competence, Ekeoma revealed that the Abia state government last year brought reputable consultants that trained 200 masters holders who now train others.
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