Group decries poor quality of UBEC projects

From: Femi Oyelola, kaduna

Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women (LANW), an NGO, has decried low quality of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) intervention projects in Chikun, Kaura and Soba local government areas of Kaduna State.
The NGO made the observation in a report entitled, “Result of Tracking of UBEC Intervention Projects in Chikun, Kaura and Soba Local Government Areas from November 2017 – June 2018”.
The report was made available to newsmen in Kaduna yesterday, during a media sensitisation for editors, producers and reporters on UBEC projects, to enlist their support for effective media monitoring.
The NGO, with support from McArthur Foundation, is tracking UBE interventions under 2014, 2015 and 2016 Work Plans in 20 schools in the three local government areas.
According to the report, out of the seven schools monitored in Chikun, only 14 per cent of the projects were completed, 57 per cent ongoing and 29 per cent have not commenced.
“Also, in the seven schools monitored in Soba, 43 per cent were completed, 43 per cent ongoing while the remaining per cent were yet to commence.
“In Kaura, 50 per cent of the six schools monitored were completed.”
The NGO, however, claimed that the quality of most of the completed projects were on the average or below the expected standard.
“Materials used in most of the projects were below standard and rough, licking roof, poorly constructed doors and windows, ceiling falling off and toilets poorly done among other issues.
The report also shows that majority of the schools have not received the supplies of laboratory fittings, pupils bench and desk, teacher tables and chairs, among other items.
The Executive Director of the NGO, Mrs. Rebecca Sako-John, explained at the opening of the meeting that LANW, along with five other NGOs, were tracking 61 schools in 22 local government areas in the state.