The Senate Committee on Education on Tuesday?gave?the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) two weeks to explain why it failed to utilise the 2011/2012 grants from UBEC.
The committee,?led by Sen. Uche Chukwumerije, made the demand?in Ibadan during its visit to the board as part of its oversight function in the education sector.
Chukwumerije, who said that the committee and the board?were partners in progress,?said there?were some grey areas?that needed full report by its committee.
According to him, the explanation will assist the committee in the presentation of the 2013 budget.
The committee also asked the board to give accurate number of students?out of school in the state, teachers it employed and state how many?were qualified.
While inspecting some of the projects, Chukwumerije?described??the modern?structures at St. John Primary School, Atenda, as superior in quality.
He said with the rate of corruption in the country, there was still?some?hope in the country.
The Chairman of SUBEB, Dr Adebisi Busari, told the committee?that N3.37 billion UBEC??intervention fund allocated to the state in 2008/ 2010, was misused by the immediate past administration.
Busari?said when he took over in 2011, the board was at a critical stage and up till date, no financial record or money was found?in?its account or release by his predecessor.
“The last administration was not careful in awarding contracts, as over hundreds of shoddy projects awarded out to their party faithful are decaying or abandoned due to the poor quality of materials used in building the classrooms.
“We are demolishing and rebuilding some of the block of classrooms in order to avoid student casualties,’’ Busari said.
He said?no fewer than 270 contracts?on classrooms “shabbily executed by the last administration'', had been demolished and renovated by the board.
The chairman said?this?had contributed to the falling standard of education in the state.
He added that government was keen on?fashioning out a road map to?regain the lost grounds right from basic education level.
While ?appealing for more funds,?Busari said: “we depend on you as our representatives to press home the truth that there is need for more Federal Government investment in education.’’
He said that this would enable the State Government to upgrade existing infrastructure and carry out articulated development. (NAN)