The Education Partnership Centre (TEP Centre), has urged States Government to strengthen collaboration with Community Level Stakeholders in their planning and delivery of Universal Basic Education projects for effectiveness quality education.
The Assist. Programme Manager of TEP Centre, Ms Henshaw Utibe, made the disclosure during the two-day Stakeholders Workshop organised by TEP for community volunteers, held in Lagos on Thursday.
Utibe said that there was need for government to continuing engaging with volunteers Community Level Stakeholders by breaking communications barriers between them to enable them show more commitment to the monitoring of schools project for quality delivery.
She said that Government should show the communities their action plans to make them willingly monitored the project and could advised Government on the particular needs of the schools rather than providing unwanted projects.
“If government involved the support of the volunteers Community Level Stakeholders they will take quick action once they know that the development was meant for the community.
“In that way everybody have a stake in ensuring that the project contractors provide quality project which will help in achieving quality education for it citizens.
“Infrastructure development is a basic need for education in Lagos, we have high numbers of out of school children and we also have the mandate to maintain the quality of infrastructure for the number of children that are in school.
“Stakeholders who have been supporting the tracking of these projects should see how we can scale this effort and support with actionable data for infrastructural products in the Lagos State,”Utibe said.
She said that some of the communities level stakeholders where not even aware of government commitment in providing support for education infrastructure with Lagos State Action plan for education infrastructure.
Utibe said that monitoring of stakeholders was a regular mechanism by tracking government infrastructure projects in their communities.
The Programme Officer, TEP Centre, Mr Quadri Gbenga, said the workshop was to promote transparency and accountability in the Basic Education Sector specifically for the Universal Basic Education (UBE).
Quadri said that UBE Fund tracking project is a project that support the states universal basic education to monitor UBE infrastructural project been funded by the counterparts fund from the Federal Government.
“The counterparts fund is a fund whereby the State brings 50 per cent and Federal also brings 50 per ent every year from which they develop an action plans of listed project across Lagos State and they are implemented.
“The action plans such as school building, furniture, borehole, construction, fencing rehabilitation, Agricultural facilities, sporting facilities among others.
” The TEP Centre being a None Governmental Organisation (NGO) aim in monitoring the spending and ensure that corruption is reduced, also ensure the project is delivered timely to enable beneficiaries to make use of it on time,” Quari said.
He Commended the Community volunteer’s stakeholders for their commitment in ensuring quality infrastructural project in their communities.
Quari said that before now, the Stakeholders had been supporting development in their communities that they decided to bring the Stakeholders together to improve their capabilities to engage government actors for demanding for quality education.
He said that the Centre support was also to put balance and check with Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) operations to ensure delivery of efficient services.
In his presentation of the Overview Fund Flow Process, the Projects Director of
Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr Vincent Adekoya, has said that monitoring, Evaluation and Supervision was key to project implementation.
Adekoya pleaded with the Stakeholders to collaborate with government for proper checkmating to actualise effective planning and delivery of Universal Basic Education projects in the state.
He said that investments should not base on sentiment but should base on the needs of the schools.
Adekoya said that SUBEB has scientific way of vesting schools demand which present all the data of the need and operations of the school before embarking on project.
He asked the Stakeholders to avoid interrogation with contractors while monitoring the project and channel their report for cross checking.
Adekoya said that duplication of project do take place due to lack of information to the politicians and the individuals who willingly support products in schools.
One of the Stakeholders from Ikorodu, Mr Oluseyi Adams, urged Government to put more fund in the project to enable him facilitate the monitoring to make government achieve success in educational sectors.
Another stakeholders, Mrs Ruth Odefa, from Oshodi, commended government effort on education and begged for more infrastructure in schools.
She pleaded with the government to rehabilitate the Schools especially Oshodi/Isolo Low Cost Housing Estate Primary School which she said the roof had been damaged for over five years.
Stakeholder from Mainland Area in Lagos, Mr Nuheem Olatubosun, has called government attention to reconstruct schools in Mount Carmel, Salvation and other schools in the area to enable their children have access to quality education.
Mr Ayeni James, from Agbado-Ijaiye, raised alarm over substandard construction by Private contractor who had refuse criticism could endanger the innocent children in the future.