Sokoto SUBEB prosecuting 10 contractors through ICPC, EFCC
From Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto
The Chairman of Sokoto State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Umaru Nagwari Tambuwal has said that the board had dragged 10 contractors before the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over breaching contractual agreements.
The Chairman disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday in Sokoto during a press briefing to mark the third year anniversary of Gov. Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto.
Tambuwal said the board forwarded petitions to the two anti-graft agencies, and the 10 contractors are currently facing prosecution.
He said that the intention is to retrieve public funds paid to the contractors without meeting their contractual obligations.
“We will not tolerate shoddy jobs, especially in rural schools. I am holding a lot of files that I refuse to pay. Go back to the sites and make corrections. When I am satisfied, then I pay. We have even taken people to ICPC and EFCC,” he said.
Tambuwal applauded Gov. Ahmed Aliyu for according top priority to education, insisting that primary and basic education sector has never had it so good.
“This is not surprising as Gov. Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto’s 9-Point Smart Agenda focuses greater attention on revamping the education sector after it was almost left moribund by the immediate past administration,” he said.
Tambuwal also announced that Sokoto State had accessed N3.7 billion from UBEC intervention funds for 2025 projects, with matching funds from the state government of equal amount.
He said the state is targeting N12 billion for the 2026 action plan, comprising N6 billion from UBEC and N6 billion counterpart funding from the state.
“In 2025 N3.7 billion was gotten from UBEC. The state government is supposed to give the same amount and we have the approval.
“Then 2026 is N6 billion, and the state will also bring N6 billion to make it N 12 billion,” he stated.
The SUBEB chairman stressed that the funds are targeted at improving basic education, which he described as key to national development.
“Basic education is always about quality and not quantity. Any country that lacks basic education will have problems. No country will develop without basic education,” Tambuwal said.
He further added that Sokoto is up to date with UBEC counterpart funding and that education remains one of the nine-Point Smart Agenda of Gov. Aliyu.
“As far as Sokoto State is concerned, we don’t have a problem accessing our counterpart funding. We are up to date,” he said.
The Chairman said basic education in the state is free and compulsory, while the government has prioritized teacher welfare through payment of the national minimum wage and regular promotions.
He listed projections for the next one year to include teacher training three times annually, school greening through tree planting, support for community poultry farming, and capacity building for SBMC members in primary and junior secondary schools.
Tambuwal appealed to the people of the state to take ownership of the myriad of educational infrastructure provided by the APC-led Sokoto State Government, urging them to protect the structures against vandalism.
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