For 18 years, federating states and the federal capital territory of Nigeria, did not entry a whopping N68,737,873,073.52 billion training grant, put aside to assist academic improvement of their varied domains.
The fund, anticipated to draw counterpart funds from benefitting states, is domiciled with the Common Primary Training Fee.
Whereas states and FCT have turned a blind eye to the fund since 2005, out-of-school youngsters disturbing statistics hold hovering, with the United Nations Youngsters Emergency Fund estimating their quantity to be about 20.3 million.
Rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, who requested obtainable and requisite knowledge from the Fee, is now threatening litigation if the needful isn’t performed with the dormant fund, to cater to the under-privileged youngsters.
In a letter to the Fee, dated November 24, 2023, the Senior Advocate relied on the Freedom of Info Act, to demand “data on the supply of counterpart funding by the 36 states governments and the FCT, to entry the excellent matching grants”.
Responding, the Fee, by means of Adamu Misau, Director, Finance & Accounts, on behalf of the Government Secretary, famous that, “the overall un-accessed matching grant from all states from 2005-2023 stood at N68, 737,873,073.52, as of December 11, 2023”.
The response from the Fee was dated December 11, 2023.
The Fee nevertheless famous that seven states of Osun, Niger, Taraba, Sokoto, Enugu, Jigawa, Ondo, have made strikes to entry their allotted grant, by offering their counterpart fund.
“The full state counterpart fund lodged by seven states stood at N10,603, 247,284.94 billion, and are at varied phases of accessing their matching grant as of December 11, 2023” the Fee famous.
The accompanying paperwork confirmed the counterpart fund lodgement made by the seven “severe” states as of December 4, 2023.
Osun state lodged N1,395,784,959.14, Niger; N2.6 billion, Taraba; N1.395,784,959.14, Sokoto; N1.395,784,959.14, Enugu; N1.722,215,968.81, Jigawa; N697,892,479.57, and Ondo; N1.395,784,959.14.
Within the seven states, obtainable information confirmed that the continuing efforts to safe the fund from the Fee, have been made in 2023 by the present management within the states.
In a press release to Nigerian Tribune on Thursday, Falana who heads Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Past (ASCAB), a policy-advocate watchdog, demanded fast motion on the fallow fund and the out-of-school disaster.
He mentioned, “In early 2023, the United Nations Youngsters Emergency Fund estimated the overall variety of out-of-school youngsters in Nigeria to be 20.2 million. The report disclosed that one in three youngsters in Nigeria is out of faculty, totalling 10.2 million on the main stage, and eight.1 million on the junior secondary college stage.
“It mentioned one in each 5 out-of-school youngsters on the planet is in Nigeria. Over 60 per cent of the illiterate are within the North. The report has confirmed that Nigeria has the very best variety of out-of-school youngsters on the planet.
“Disturbed by the determine of out-of-school youngsters, we requested the Common Primary Training Fee to furnish us with data on entry to UBEC funds by the 36 state governments and the Federal Capital Territory.
“In its immediate reply to our letter, the UBEC disclosed that the overall unassessed matching grant from all states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory stood at N68, 737, 873, 073. 52 as of eleventh December 2023. The letter of the UBEC dated eleventh December 2023 is hereby connected.
“In view of the truth that state governments have did not adjust to part 3 of the Training Reforms Act which mandates them to contribute half (50%) of the overall price of tasks to be executed within the State as its personal dedication within the execution of the tasks, we’re compelled to name on the UBEC to disburse the fund immediately.
“This name is according to the mixed impact of sections 12 and 17 which have saddled the Fee with the accountability to make sure efficient implementation, analysis, and monitoring of the Common Primary Training programme of the Federal Authorities and assist academics, colleges managers, and different stakeholders in Primary and Secondary Training establishments in Nigeria to establish areas of deficiencies in attaining curriculum targets and assist to treatment these deficiencies.
“As a matter of urgency, we name on the Federal Authorities, State Governments, and the 774 Native Governments to undertake remedial measures to make sure the fast registration of the 20.2 million out-of-school youngsters in colleges.
“If the mentioned sum of N68 billion unmatched grant shouldn’t be accessed by the 36 state governments and the Federal Capital Territory earlier than January 15, 2024, we will search an order of mandamus to compel them to take action forthwith,” he warned.