Bukola Olatunji
10 November 2009
Lagos — Only 11 universities out of 57 (federal and state) on the Education Trust Fund (ETF)'s list accessed their normal intervention funds for last year. Worse still, only seven of them accessed funds meant for library development, while 13 accessed that meant for Academic Staff Training and Development (ASTD).
Out of 50 polytechnics, only 13 accessed their normal intervention during the same period, while eight of them accessed their library funds and another 13, their ASTD. The Colleges of Education fared better as 26 out of 61 of them accessed their normal intervention, 12 of them accessed their library funds, but only five accessed their ASTD funds. The last, but not the least, 18 monotechnics out of about 60, accessed their normal intervention, while 14 accessed their library funds.
The identities of these performing beneficiaries, those that failed to access their funds and figures involved are better left for the ETF, which, during the second quarter of this year, published N23.672 billion in accumulated unaccessed funds for previous years and their beneficiaries. The Executive Secretary, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu had reported that within two months of the publication, all but three of the 112 institutions listed responded. Even the three have since responded, while the backlogs are being speedily cleared.
Back to last year's intervention, at the State Ministries of Education, only 12 accessed their normal intervention funds, and seven, their library funds. At the State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), only eight states each, have accessed normal interventions and library funds meant for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS); while nine and eight respectively, did same at the primary level.
To address these dismal and recurring figures, the ETF, this time last year organised the first 'Strategic Planning Workshops with Beneficiaries' in the various tertiary institutions. The Fund had observed slow project implementation, poor project conceptualisation, non-alignment of intervention projects with identified gaps in the accreditation reports by Regulatory Agencies and absence of Sustainable Plan. The aim of the workshop was therefore to stimulate the Fund's beneficiaries and all stakeholders towards efficient and effective intervention and project delivery.
Even in the absence of a Board of Trustees, Prof. Yakubu had promised to make the workshop an annual event. The theme for this year's edition was, 'Re-positioning the ETF for Improved Performance and Greater Impact in the Education Sector.'
First to be held, penultimate week was the meeting with beneficiaries in the universities at the National Universities Commission (NUC), Abuja. The Colleges of Education came next at the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), also in Abuja. Beneficiaries in the polytechnics and monotechnics sub-sector had their turn in Kaduna, last week, where their regulatory agency, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is.
While addressing the various meetings, Chairman of the ETF Board of Trustees, Dr. Musa Babayo said just like the beneficiaries, the federal government has urged the Fund to rise to the challenge of implementation of its intervention programmes, the success of which depends on proper conceptualisation, wide range consultation and implementation.
The workshops reviewed previous interventions, discussed the guidelines for this year's allocations and the implementation of this year's programmes. Gone are the days when members of the communities of beneficiaries education were kept in the dark as to how much the Education Trust Fund (ETF) gave. Like last year, the figures for each beneficiary were made public. A total of N28.893 billion goes to all beneficiaries, earlier mentioned in the 2008 report, put together. Each participant at the workshop went home with a detailed break-down of allocations.
Directors of Operations, Mr. Emmanuel Manasa and his Finance and Accounts counterpart, Mr. Charles Onyeador took participants through the theme of the workshop and 'Efficient Release and Utilisation of Funding for Improved Performance in Project Development', respectively; while Head of Internal Audit, Mrs. G. Olotu also dwelt on the theme from her perspective.
Yakubu said ETF organised the workshop to "take stock and re-strategise, as well as receive ideas on how it can respond better to the requests of its beneficiaries, to ensure quality and accountability, as well as speed and efficiency in the execution of projects. The Board has directed management to look at ways to enhance ETF's response to requests, through restructuring of its departments that attend to the requests of its beneficiaries.
He expressed delight at some achievements that had been recorded since last year's meeting. One of this was proper prioritisation of projects. "Since last year, no institution has proposed to use its intervention funds for projects outside its core mandate. There was not a single proposal for fencing, gate, car park and drainage, while abandoning laboratories, workshops and studios and staff training, capacity building. So we are on the same page", he said.
He however regretted that many challenges observed at last year's meetings, have remained. The most crucial is that of accumulated unaccessed funds where, as stated above, not much had changed. He acknowledged that some chief executives have been battling with what their Predecessors' failed to do.
Some also complained that ETF conditions are too stringent. To that he said, "That explains perhaps, why ETF is the only agency without abandoned projects in the country. If the system works, let it remain."
He also observed that many beneficiaries were yet to submit the five-year Strategic Development Plan(s) and the two-year Operational Plan(s) to enable effective delivery of projects, one year after.
While seeking the institutions' support for the amendment of the Law establishing the ETF, which has passed its second reading in the House, Yakubu said the Board of Trustees has approved that henceforth, intervention budget will be received at the beginning of each year since a project cycle is a year. "So 2010 budget will be released before the end of the first quarter 2010", and beneficiaries can merge as many as three years' allocation.
He further disclosed that, to enhance the constructive delivery of projects and accountability, the Fund also has the Board's approval to organise two capacity building workshops for Directors of Works or Physical Planning, as the case may be, and Bursars early next year.
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