The Sokoto State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) says it has initiated prosecution of contractors who allegedly collected public funds but failed to execute basic education projects in the state.
The Chairman of the board, Umar Nagwari Tambuwal, disclosed this while speaking on measures being taken to strengthen accountability and ensure quality in the implementation of basic education projects.
Tambuwal explained that SUBEB had submitted petitions to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against contractors accused of failing to execute projects in line with their contractual obligations.
He said the action was aimed at recovering public funds released for projects that were not properly executed.
“We will not tolerate shoddy jobs, especially in rural schools. I am holding a lot of files that I refuse to pay. Go back to site and make corrections.
“When I am satisfied, then I pay. We have even taken people to ICPC and EFCC,” Tambuwal said.
The chairman said the board had adopted stricter monitoring and accountability measures to ensure that funds allocated to basic education were used for their intended purposes.
He disclosed that Sokoto had accessed N3.7 billion in Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) intervention funds for 2025, with an equal counterpart contribution from the state government.
According to him, the state was targeting N12 billion for the 2026 action plan, comprising N6 billion from UBEC and N6 billion in counterpart funding from the state government.
“In 2025, N3.7 billion was gotten from UBEC. The state government is supposed to give the same amount and we have the approval.
“Then 2026 is N6 billion, and the state will also bring N6 billion to make it N12 billion,” he said.
Tambuwal stressed that the investment was aimed at improving the quality of basic education, which he described as fundamental to national development.
“Basic education is always about quality and not quantity. Any country that lacks basic education will have problems. No country will develop without basic education,” he said.
He said Sokoto remained up to date with its UBEC counterpart funding obligations, making it easier for the state to access intervention funds.
Tambuwal also disclosed that basic education was free and compulsory in the state, while teacher welfare had been prioritised through payment of the national minimum wage and regular promotions.
He listed teacher training three times annually, school greening through tree planting, support for community poultry farming and capacity building for School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) members among programmes planned for the next one year.
The chairman commended Governor Ahmed Aliyu for prioritising education under his administration’s nine-point Smart Agenda.
He said the administration had demonstrated renewed commitment to revitalising the basic education sector through increased investment in infrastructure, teacher welfare and capacity building.
Tambuwal appealed to residents to take ownership of educational infrastructure provided by the state government and protect the facilities against vandalism.
