Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Education has again stressed the need for improve budgetary performance in the education sector to enhance academic achievements in the state.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon Charles Chukwuemeke Emetulu who stated this on Monday during members’ oversight visits to some Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the state government under its supervision, maintained that the MDAs must make judicious use of budgetary allocation made available to them.
The MDAs visited include, the Ministry of Primary Education, Ministry of Secondary Education, the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, the Post Primary Education Board, PPEB, the Institute of Continuing Education, ICE and the Agency For Adult and Non Formal Education, all in the state capital, Asaba.
Addressing top government functionaries in the twin Ministries of Primary Education and Secondary Education, Hon Emetulu stressed on the enormous efforts made by government in ensuring that the education sector in the state maintained its pride of place in the comity of states in Nigeria.
The Lawmaker who represents Ndokwa West Constituency and one time Commissioner for Higher Education, stated that his led Committee was not relenting in ensuring needed attention to the state’s education system.
He informed the officials that oversight visits was in line with Legislative functions of the House as enshrined in the 1999 constitution, even as he urged both Ministries of Primary and Secondary Education to maintain robust relationship with the Committee.
Dwelling on various challenges confronting both Ministries, including issues of staff recruitment and encroachment of School lands, Emetulu tasked the ministries to put together a comprehensive statistics of Public Primary and Secondary Schools in the State as well as number of Students and Teachers to enable government make informed decisions in the near future.
“Delta State Government is investing massively in Education. I therefore urge you (MDAs) to be up and doing to justify government’s huge investments.
“You should come up with proactive strategies to ensure that you do not only get approvals, but see that such approvals, but to see that such approvals are released to execute projects and meet other challenges faced.
“Laissez-faire attitude to work must be discouraged as the Committee would not entertain requests for additional funds during the budgeting process except you show proof of judicious utilization of previously allocated funds”, Emetulu warned.
Accompanied by other members of the Committee, including Hon. Benson Obire, Ferguson Onwo, Emmanuel Sinebe, Matthew Omonade, Dafe Chukwudi, Marylyn Okowa-Daramola, and Bridget Anyafulu, the Lawmakers at the Agency For Adult and Non Formal Education, enjoined the Agency to collaborate with the Ministry that supervises it, in mitigating some of its challenges.
At the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Hon Emetulu commended the Chairman and management of the board for engaging in training and retraining of primary school teachers in the state to promote efficiency in the sector.
He also commended the Hon Samuel Mariere’s led board for taking proactive steps in minimizing incidents of vandalism of schools infrastructures across the state and urged the team not to relent in curtailing the menace.
At the Post Primary Education Board, PPEB, Emetulu to proactively put in place a process where retired Security men are immediately replaced to ensure safety of school properties.
He also urged the board to plan how to regularly recruit teachers to plug the gap in number of teachers in the post-primary education sub sector.
Similarly, the Committee during its visit to the Institute of Continuing Education, the Chairman urged the management to make judicious use of their budgetary provisions.
He said frantic efforts should be made in getting approval for funds to execute all pending projects aimed at addressing the infrastructural deficit in the Institute.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Primary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibuogwu and his Secondary Education Counterpart, Mrs Rose Ezewu as well as the Permanent Secretary of both Ministries, Mr Augustine Oghoro, in their various remarks hinted on the challenges facing the twin Ministries, and solicited the support of the Lawmakers in solving the problems.
For their parts, Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Samuel Mariere, and his PPEB counterpart, Dr. Emmanuel Tibi, explained efforts made in recent times to improve standards in the primary and secondary schools across the state and called for support in the task ahead.
Similarly, Chairman, Delta State Institute of Continuing Education, Comrade Florence Johnson and the Director, Agency For Adult and Non Formal Education, Mr Akponovo Anthony in their separate remarks also highlighted some challenges faced and solicited for the support of stakeholders in addressing them.
The oversight visit continues.