explained why Governor Samuel Ortom approved the release of N3.8 billion as counterpart fund for the provision of structures and facilities. Excerpts:
How has it been since your assumption of duty?
Let me begin by emphasizing what is core in the minds of Governor Samuel Ortom and President Muhammadu Buhari and their body language. Education is paramount, it is an antidote against ignorance in Nigeria, against all forms of crime. The emphasis is on education.
In Benue, it is primary education that is supposed to be the foundation, but it was the hard hit. When the foundation is not good enough, you can expect worst results. Universities and colleges of education graduates have poor ways of expressing themselves because of poor foundation.
The infrastructure was decaying, any person passing on the road or passing through the interior saw that we were the most backward. The structures had deteriorated, disintegrated. Children sat where lizards competed with them.
They sat in classes with open roofs and this had psychological effect on the children, parents and teachers. Teachers will not find it conducive. In fact, it required that federal and state governments should declare a state of emergency in that sector.
That’s why Governor Ortom has decided to draw the attention of stakeholders including parents, communities, teachers, pupils, workers, non-governmental organisations as well as education managers to the sorry situation by making the approval of the release of counterpart funds a priority.
Education is the bedrock of development; it should be placed in its proper place. Education should take the lead. It should be on first line charge. In all the 700 schools that would benefit from the projects, communities are represented, government will be touching parents’ lives, also that of teachers; in fact, all the stakeholders attention would be drawn.
Once we kick out ignorance, most of the problems would be sorted out.
What would the entire exercise entail?
It will involve renovation, construction and provision of facilities. That is why the state government is providing N3.8 billion, UBEC is to provide the other N3.8 billion. No one is going to manipulate the funds and projects.
Funds will be applied directly and we are insisting on project delivery. Contractors should not see it as patronage for politicians because all the classes of people will benefit from the contracts, which would be based purely on merit.
I am going to read riot act so that all the specifics will be met. In the past, some boreholes were not properly drilled but paid for. There is a special task force cum monitoring committee, they will see that work is done before payment, and every payment must be made based on jobs done.
Who would be the beneficiaries of the contracts?
The standards are there in the registration with the Federal Government, tax clearance is involved, registration with the state tenders board will also be there. The ICPC will be available because we do not to intend to bend rules.
What are your plans for teachers’ welfare?
We are not insensitive to the motivation of teachers. We are not insensitive to the remuneration of teachers. In fact, we want to review the promotion carried out on the basis of political patronage because teachers and the pupils form the bedrock of education and development. We are not going into the welfare aspect yet because infrastructure is in bad shape. Government is conscious of the issue of remuneration of teachers.
His Excellency wants teachers to be proud of their jobs. When budget is passed, we will take it up. We are doing a review of teacher’s promotion, not the political promotion done in the past. Once money comes in, we will implement it, offer them training so that a teacher does not shiver when a supervisor is round.
We will pay salaries up to date. We will implement the promotions. If we announce the promotions now, we will be setting the cart before the horse. When we are set, we will do it.
Would Benue be able to run free primary education?
It is in the APC manifesto to run free primary education. Government does not intend to charge school fees. Even the feeding aspect, we have it in the plan that with time, we will mobilize communities to promote the free feeding policy. Government has no plan to introduce fees.
How will you be able to pay salaries?
As soon as money comes to us from the Bureau for Local Government, we will pay. We have trained the Internet people, the ICT people and the salary staff also. We are set, as soon as we start payment, all the teachers will be paid at the same time.
Teachers will know exactly how much their take home pay is. All the teachers will give us their email addresses so that we can send their pay slips electronically into their emails, so that some people will not stop their salaries unduly.
Source : Newtelegraphonline