By Saheed Ibrahim

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Contrary to recent claims of educational underperformance, the Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (ODSUBEB) has been lauded by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) as one of Nigeria’s top-performing states.

This commendation underscores the State’s consistent payment and effective use of statutory Annual Counterpart Funds, setting a benchmark in the South West geopolitical zone for the development of public primary and junior secondary schools.

In a statement issued by ODSUBEB’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Prince Bolu Diesel Ajijo, the “wrong impression of underperformance created by one self-styled Spokesman of NNPP” should be disregarded.

Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (ODSUBEB) has been declared by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) as one of the best-performing states across the country. Ajijo said ODSUBEB is also the best-performing State SUBEB in the southwest geopolitical zone, adding that the board has performed excellently well since the inception of the Akeredolu/Aiyedatiwa administration in 2017.

While referring to a June 30, 2024 publication of the Punch newspaper that showed Ondo State as one of the best-performing states, Ajijo said Ondo SUBEB scored very high marks among the comity of States and the FCT. The statement reads in part: “From documentary evidence at the disposal of ODSUBEB and in the said publication, the writer did not say anything untoward about the performance of the Board, especially during the pendency of the Akeredolu/Aiyedatiwa administration in respect of the payment of matching grants to access federal government funds for the development of the critical Basic Education Sector but a commendation for a job well done.

“Contrary to the wrong interpretation given by some mischievous elements to the report released by UBEC, which was published on the front page of a Newspaper, the state has not failed once since 2017 to access the matching grants up-to-date. Rather, it bested seemingly richer States in the sub-region in this regard.

“Further analysis of UBEC’s report, which the Newspaper quoted copiously and contrary to those in the public domain, showed that Ondo State was listed alongside other States in the country, such as Delta, Enugu, Nassarawa, Zamfara, Sokoto, Jigawa, Borno, and Taraba, for the payment of their counterpart funds and the timely utilization of UBEC’s funds for the development of public Primary Schools in their domains.

“There is a need to give kudos to the Ondo State government as it has injected over N24B into the basic education sector in the last seven and a half years.

“As of 2017, there was an outstanding four years of matching grants that were left unaccessed due to the failure of the Mimiko-led administration to provide the required counterpart funds. Under the Akeredolu/Aiyedatiwa regime, the state government has been committed to the payment of the needed counterpart funds, which has enabled the Board to access the UBEC matching grants up-to-date, i.e., 2023.”

The Board states that timely counterpart fund payments by the State Government have enabled it to significantly enhance public primary schools through the construction, rehabilitation, and provision of necessary facilities, with over 1,000 classrooms built, reconstructed, and renovated across the State.

Meanwhile, the ODSUBEB spokesperson revealed that Ondo State is set to effect the payment of the 2024 counterpart fund to access the federal government matching grant before the end of this year, saying the fund will be injected into the basic education sector to improve infrastructure in primary schools and junior secondary classes.

Parts of the achievements reeled out also include accessing funds for the training of teachers in 2023 under the Teachers Development Programme and coming first in the Southwest Schools sports competition organized by UBEC early this year in Ado Ekiti.