Group mobilises community to monitor N266.98m UBEC projects in Kaduna

A non-governmental organisation, Connected Development (CODE), is mobilising community and relevant stakeholders to monitor implementation of N266.8 million Universal Basic Education Commission’s (UBEC) projects in four Local government Areas of Kaduna State.

The NGO’s senior programme manager, Mr Chambers Umezulike, made this known during a town hall meeting with community members and relevant stakeholders at Kufana, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

According to him, the project, supported by MacArthur Foundation, will track the implementation of UBEC projects in 70 schools in the state, starting with 23 schools in Jema’a, Kajuru, Kudan and Zangon Kataf local government areas.

He added that the NGO had commenced the tracking process in 23 schools, out of which 16 projects had been awarded at the cost of N266.8 million under 2014 work plan in the selected local governments.

Umezulike explained that the essence of the town hall meeting was to bring relevant stakeholders to discuss the projects for effective project oversight and improve service delivery.

“The meeting also provided an opportunity to address issues that come up during the tracking process and get the community members fully involved.

“We have held similar meetings in Kudan, Jema’a and Zangon Kataf LGAs with active community participation, and project implementation is about 70 per cent completion,” he said.

He, however, observed that the level of work at Kajuru Local Government was very slow with about 40 per cent completion.

Umezulike said that the NGO had trained 30 community leaders and 30 Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) officials to facilitate the projects implementation tracking process.

“Our mission is to improve access to information and empower local communities with the capacity to monitor implementation of projects to ensure transparency and accountability in capital expenditure in rural communities.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Kaduna SUBEB, Mrs Kande Bage, thanked CODE for the initiative, and called on community members to monitor and maintain the school infrastructure.

“Take these schools as your own because it is your children that are being taught there; so, do not see the schools as government’s properties,” she said.

Also, the Education Secretary, Kajuru LGA, Mr Yahaya Gardi, thanked CODE for engaging community members in monitoring government’s spending in the LGAs.

Mr Gideon Turaki, School-Based Management Committee chairman, Primary School, Kufan, assured SUBEB and CODE of effective monitoring of the projects.

The women leader in Kufana, Mrs Jummai Halidu, said that the ongoing projects in various schools in the local government areas meant that their children would have improved learning environment.