NIGERIA (Osun)- The Supervising Minister of Education, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has said that the state governors should be blamed for their failure to access the N41 billion counterpart fund for the implementation of Universal Basic Education, UBE, in their states.

Wike said this in Oshogbo, the capital of Osun state, at the 11^th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC Management with Executive Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards, SUBEBs.

While expressing his dissatisfaction, Wike said it was sad that the money was yet to be accessed by states, lamenting that the situation was unhealthy for development of basic education in the country.

Speaking through a statement by the Principal Public Relations Officer of UBEC, Mr. David Apeh, Wike said: ”Nothing can justify the situation where billions of naira meant to expand access and improve the quality of basic education delivery are deliberately left un-accessed and, therefore, un-utilised, while the problems facing effective basic education delivery continue to stare at us as a nation.”

Wike, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Dikko Suleiman, explained that both conditional Matching Grant as well as the non-conditional special education fund from UBEC had been neglected by states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

He, however, noted that basic education in Nigeria would soon begin to experience a new era of transformation and pragmatic achievement, following the appointment of Dr. Suleiman as the new executive secretary of the commission.