By Ogu Bundu Nwadike
If a letter from Zenith Bank Plc to the Imo State Universal Basic Education Board (IMSUBEB) is anything to go by, then that agency of the Government of Imo State will be refunding the sum of N7,113,128,497:85 (Seven billion, one hundred and thirteen million, one hundred and twenty eight thousand, four hundred and ninety seven naira, eighty five kobo) to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) soon.
According to the letter dated February 3, 2021 and signed by Mr. Nwanna, General Manager, and Charles Anyacho, Assistant General Manager, the money in question was a marching grant given to IMSUBEB by UBEC in the period 2016-2018. That regime was run by the failed All Progressives Congress (APC)
The text of the two-paragraph letter, with the subject matter as: “Recall Of 2016 To 2018 UBEC Marching Grant By UBEC Abuja”, which was addressed to “The Acting Executive Chairman, Imo State Universal Basic Education Board, Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, Imo State, is reproduced below:
” Dear Madam,
“This is to inform you that Universal Basic Education Commission Management in Abuja has issued a recall notice for the bank to return the sum of N7,113,128,497:85 (Seven billion, one hundred and thirteen million, one hundred and twenty eight thousand, four hundred and ninety seven naira, eighty five kobo) representing UBEC Marching Grant to Imo State for the period 2016 to 2018 (See attached).
“Kindly put logistics in place and engage the Commission to resolve any source of disagreements between the Commission and your office for the smooth implementation of Universal Basic Education Commission projects in the State.
“Thank you.”
This quite indicting letter to current leadership of IMSUBEB no doubt leaves some critical significances and implications, for both the APC regime of the 2016-2018 period, and for the current APC regime.
First, it’s very significant that the period under review didn’t include the seven and half months tenure of the PDP RebuildImo administration (May 29, 2019 – January 14, 2020) that had His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON as leader and governor. Prof. Obioma Iheduru was the Executive Chairman of IMSUBEB at the time.
It’s significant too that the PDP administration left an indelible mark of good performance. Evidently, primary education in the State received tremendous turn-around transformation both in physical infrastructure and human resources.
The hallmark of the success of IMSUBEB during the Ihedioha administration were the renovations and refurbishing carried out in schools across the State.
The other big effort at improving the condition of primary education in the State was the activation of the process of employing 5,000 teaching and non-teaching staff into the State’s school system.
That process was sadly and unfortunately cut short by the sudden controversial ousting of the PDP RebuildImo administration from office.
It’s apparent that because of the good performance profile of IMSUBEB under the watch of Governor Emeka Ihedioha, UBEC had no issues with IMSUBEB.
Hence, in the time of Governor Emeka Ihedioha, there was never such embarrassing issues about embezzlement of UBEC’s marching grant and the request for its refund as is being observed in the current APC regime.
The implication of the ugly development is that the IMSUBEB in the APC 2016-2018 period must have sinned and come short of the stipulations, directives and instructions of UBEC.
Money must have been released by UBEC for the advancement of primary education in the State, which must have been misappropriated by the government of that day.
Little wonder primary schools, and their teaching and non-teaching staff in Imo State, together with physical infrastructure in the 2016-2018 period, suffered avoidable neglect and abandonment.
It’s significant that Zenith Bank Plc is calling out IMSUBEB of the current APC regime in Imo State to answer questions over the questionable conducts of the IMSUBEB of the previous APC regime.
According to the bank, it was necessary for the current APC regime that’s led by Senator Hope Uzodimma to sort things out with UBEC fast so as to sustain the continued implementation of the UBEC projects in Imo State.
The immediate implication is that the current APC regime must endeavour to get the previous APC regime of 2016-2018 to refund the N7,113,128,497:85 in question. Otherwise, the current APC regime must endeavour to raise and refund the billions of naira that was obviously misappropriated by the previous APC regime in Imo State.
Those are about the two options left now if the hope of Imo State to continue enjoying the huge benefits that accrue to the education sector from UBEC won’t be dashed.
No doubt, the world will be keenly watching to see how the current APC regime will manage this exposed financial impropriety of the previous APC regime.
By God’s grace, Imo State must be rebuilt!
