By Felix Khanoba
The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboyi, says State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) should be allowed to operate without interference to ensure more accountability in basic education delivery.
Bobboyi said having autonomous SUBEBs would not in any way affect relevant synergies between the boards and state ministries of education.
The UBEC boss stated this on Wednesday while receiving a delegation from Benue State on a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
“It is important for SUBEB to be autonomous and exercise its mandates independently but maintaining cordial relationship with the State Ministry of Education,” Bobbyi told ths delegation led by the Benue State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar.
“This independence is important because if there is any breach of the UBE implementation guidelines in the state, it is the Chairman of the SUBEB and the SUBEB itself that will be held responsible and not the Commissioner or the State Ministry of Education,” the UBEC boss added.
A statement made available to newsmen by the Public Relations Unit of UBEC, said the delegation which also had the newly appointed executive chairman of Benue SUBEB, the Board’s Director of Finance, among others, were at UBEC to familiarize themselves with Universal Basic Education’s (UBE) operations, especially in the area of collaboration.
While emphasizing the collaborative nature of basic education delivery among the three tiers of government in Nigeria, Bobboyi pledged UBEC’s continued assistance to Benue SUBEB in the discharge of its functions.
The UBEC boss and other top management staff present at the meeting also took time to acquaint the visiting team of the Federal Government’s complementary role in UBE delivery through supportive funding and other critical interventions.
On his part, leader of the team, Prof. Ityavyar, thanked UBEC for the warm reception and expressed the readiness of the Benue State Government to always provide a conducive atmosphere for effective UBE delivery.
