The Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State has criticised Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration over the failure to utilise N19.18bn in education intervention funds reportedly allocated to the state, despite the deteriorating condition of public schools.
The criticism followed a recent report by The PUNCH, which revealed that the Universal Basic Education Commission had identified Benue as the state with the highest volume of unspent basic education intervention funds, amounting to N19.18bn.
The opposition party expressed disappointment that the state government had yet to access or deploy the substantial resources to address pressing challenges in the education sector, particularly the poor state of infrastructure and inadequate learning facilities in public schools.
In a statement released on Sunday, the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Bright Antyo, described the situation as evidence of the administration’s failure to translate its public commitments into meaningful improvements in the lives of residents. The party said the development exposed a troubling gap between the government’s claims and the difficulties experienced by ordinary citizens.
The statement read in part, “At a time when children in other states are learning in upgraded school facilities, following the unprecedented resources available to the governments of their states as a result of fuel subsidy removal, the discovery that billions of naira earmarked for basic education in Benue State have remained unspent is nothing short of scandalous.”
The PDP called on the Alia-led government to provide a detailed account of the different allocations of Universal Basic Education Commission intervention funds received by the state and explain why the resources had not been utilised within the stipulated timeframe.
It further requested clarification on the projects approved for implementation under the intervention programme, the level of progress recorded on the proposed projects and whether the state government had fulfilled its counterpart funding obligations and other requirements necessary to access the funds.
The party also challenged the administration to account for the N19.18bn, demanding explanations on where the money was being held and what safeguards had been established to guarantee proper accountability and ensure that the resources were spent exclusively on their intended purposes.
Questioning the continued deterioration of public schools across Benue despite the reported availability of billions of naira in education funding, the opposition party said the government owed residents an explanation for the apparent disconnect between the resources allocated and conditions in the state’s education sector.
The PDP consequently urged the government to make public a comprehensive financial and operational record of all UBEC intervention funds received since Governor Alia assumed office. It said the disclosure should cover counterpart funding contributions, approved projects, contracts awarded, payments made and any outstanding financial commitments.
“Governor Alia must understand that public funds are not political trophies to be displayed in government accounts.
“They are resources entrusted to government for the benefit of the people. Money appropriated for the education of Benue children must be put to work to ensure that Benue children have access to quality education,” the statement added.
