Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state has inaugurated the State’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Audit Service Commission (ASC) to revive the education sector across the state. According to him, the 17-member SUBEB would be led by Prof. Bulama Kagu, while Tahiru Shettima serves as the secretary of the board. The six-member Commission is led by Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed Lolum. He is also to handle all matters on recruitment, promotion, dismissals and exercise disciplinary control over the Commission’s staff in the office of the Auditor General (AG). While inaugurating the board and Commission Tuesday in Maiduguri, the governor said: “This is no doubt another breakthrough in our pursuit to sensitize the public system from all forms of financial indiscipline. “It’s to enforce strict adherence to all financial regulations, principles and other relevant extant laws and circulars.”
He said the State Government accords high premium on good governance and education; as our people deserve the best service delivery. This, according to him, requires credible and trustworthy institutions built on the principles of transparency and accountability in the two tiers of government. Besides, he added that it will effectively manage the state’s capital and human resources for maximum benefits of the people.He noted that despite numerous factors that undermine development efforts over the years, transparency in government is crucial to operate a just and equitable administration.
Zulum explained that this will enable the auditors to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of internal controls within the organisations with optimal performance. Speaking on the functions of the Commission, he said that they include the determination of the administrative structure of the office of AG of the state and local governments. He said that the recommendations of AG be on broad issues of policy administration of the Commission. Other functions of the Commission include the implementation of ethics and code of conduct with regulations.
“The Commission is to determine and consult with relevant government agencies, salaries and other conditions of the office of AG and audit commission,” he said, stating that the Commission is also to control and disburse monies, capital and recurrent services of the audit department. He said the board should formulae policy, guidelines, manage primary and junior secondary schools with the prescriptions on standards for education.
He added that board members should ensure effective monitoring education standards in the state. Zulum yesterday also declared that primary education is the foundation of the education sector.
He noted that the state government considers it among the topmost in the 10-pact agenda and the 25-year development framework; as well as 10-year strategic transformation plan. According to him, considerable attention has been given to the education sector across the three senatorial districts in the state.“This is to close gaps occasioned by the 12-year insurgency that claimed the lives of over 250 teachers,” he said, lamenting that the terrorists destroyed critical educational infrastructure worth billions of naira across the state.
Continuing, he added: “My key concern in education is the decline in the standards of education,” noting that it is not the building and recruitment of schools and teachers, but the quality of the education of children. He said when the quality of output is bad that entails the quality of input into the secondary system should also be bad. The Governor reiterated that that will entail the quality of educational input into the University could also be weak.
He warned that the quality of education in the state is fast declining in the last two decades. Zulum attributed the decline to low salary structure, poor condition of service, lack of synergies among SUBEB, Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Teaching Service Board (TSB) and unqualified teachers. He therefore pledged that teachers are to be placed on a minimum wage of N30,000 a month, while unqualified teachers are to be trained with others converted to non-academic staff. He told members of the board and Commission to work together in developing the education sector that has been in crises for over two decades.
