By Jonathan Ugbal Follow @NaijaJonathan
Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River has approved the sum of NGN1.2 billion counterpart fund to enable the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (CRSUBEB) access the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) grant for 2017.
This was disclosed by the Executive Chairman of the Board, Dr. Stephen Odey, Thursday in Calabar where he said the Board was awaiting the release of the fund after due process had been completed and announced that:
“The governor has given his approval for the release of our 2017 request for grant of N1.2 billion; so, we are just waiting for due processes to be completed,” said Mr. Odey who added that: “You are aware that for any state to access grant from UBEC, the state has to first pay its counterpart fund. So, that is where we are now.”
The state had received about NGN4 billion between 2012 and 2016. This, according to Mr. Odey was used in awarding 327 projects for renovations and procurement of several teaching and learning equipment including some 85,000 textbooks.
He said the processes for promotions have been completed and pointed out that the current financial situation is what was stalling the implementation.
“We have completed the process for teachers’ promotion because primary school teachers were last promoted in 2009. But this has cost implications. It is one thing to employ teachers and another thing to pay them salaries regularly. We do not want to promote teachers without commensurate benefits,” he said.
He announced that the recruitment of 1000 more teachers had been approved by Governor Ayade with written tests conducted for some applicants and denied that the Board was carrying out secret recruitment of teachers.