Independent monitors allege poor delivery of UBEC projects in Lagos

Independent monitors trained by the Human Development Initiatives (HDI), comprising of volunteers passionate about education, visited some public primary and junior secondary schools in 11 Local Government Education Authorities (LGEA) of Lagos State to monitor the implementation of the 2018 Action Plan for projects funded by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Executive Director of HDI, Mrs Funso Owasanoye, said the monitoring of Universal Basic Education (UBE) projects, backed by funds from the MacArthur Foundation, was to ensure children in the schools access quality education.“The main reason why we monitor Universal Basic Education projects is to ensure all school-aged children in Lagos State receive quality basic education,” she said.

Majority of the monitors, while presenting their reports at the HDI headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, had more of negative reports than positive ones. There were reported cases of poor implementation of contracts in some schools and the need for the inclusion of more schools in the scheme.

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The team from Ojo LGEA, for instance, reported that furniture expected in the project schools were yet to be supplied; boreholes being dug substandard, while school buildings were in bad state. The team from Kosofe LGEA reported that the premises of the Lady-lak Primary School, Bariga had been turned into a refuse dump by hawkers because the school structure had been demolished for reconstruction, which has not begun, leaving them with the option of managing at nearby Ayinke Primary School.

“Ladylak Primary School has been demolished for years. The children were relocated to Ayinke Primary School, where they have no access to water; no toilets; four classes are crashed into one because of no accommodation,” a monitor said.

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The fencing project at Ideal Primary School, Agege was said to have been suspended by SUBEB because the contractors dug a shallow foundation, made no provision for pillars, and prepared to use inferior blocks. “The contractor told us that about 10,000 blocks were going to waste because of the rejection; that he would go to beg at SUBEB to allow him resume the project and promised to replace the blocks with better ones,” a monitor said.

The Head of the team to Ibeju-Lekki, Mrs. Funmilola Sojinu, lamented about how conflict in the community over land resulted in damage to Oriyanrin Primary School building and put the lives of its pupils in jeopardy. She added that schools, like Oriyanrin Primary School and St Peters Anglican Primary School, Magbon-Alade, were being encroached upon because they lacked perimeter fences.

A school around Falomo, Ikoyi Prison axis, Ireti Primary School was reported to be in a state of disrepair that could result into eventual collapse.The monitor Mrs. Blessing Osuji said, “I could not believe the school was still in use. The roofs have blown away; no windows or doors. The place is just like an abandoned building. When it rains, they share the children to two other schools in the compound,” she said.

While monitors from Apapa, Surulere, Amuwo-Odofin, Somolu and Ajeromi-Ifelodun also shared reports about state of projects in their areas, monitors from Eti-osa LGEA claimed that no school in their jurisdiction was mentioned in the plan despite their needs of intervention.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) got N2.94 billion to spend on construction of classrooms, rehabilitation of schools, and provision of furniture, sporting equipment, water and agricultural products in 45 of its 1,016 primary schools.