Members of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) have declared their resolve to synergise to reposition the basic education system.
They spoke through the permanent member representing Zone B, Prince Andy Uwouku in Makurdi, the state capital and debunked insinuations that the executive chairman of the board, Dr Grace Adagba, works without their support.
Uwouku said, “Since the coming of the board in December 15, 2023, we have been working together and the chairman has not been as a lone-ranger as insinuated because she has been involving us in all the happenings concerning the board where approvals are made collectively and within a few months in office, we have had about four board meetings at the instance of the chairman, all of these are for accountability and transparency.
“We find it difficult and strange to accept the accusations of working in isolation levelled against the chairman. That is why we are here to set the records straight because in SUBEB we are working as a family,” he said.
Prince Uwouku explained that the current ongoing renovation of offices and provision of facilities at SUBEB headquarters among other things done by the chairman were also done with the approval of the board to give basic education in the state a face lift.
Also, the SUBEB Zone A permanent member, Paul Ebe, informed that there is ongoing automation of payroll system to address the issues of arbitrary deductions among other issues.
According to him, “With the commencement of the automation of teachers’ salaries the issues we had in the past including the deduction of teachers’ salaries without cogent reasons will be a thing of the past; and all these are done to ensure that basic education which is the bedrock of education is repositioned in the state.”
Earlier, the board secretary, Dr. Joseph Jande, who commended the chairman for achieving a lot within a few months said in a short possible time the media would be called to go round some of the projects executed to have first-hand information for effective reporting.
He said, “The chairman alongside the board members are doing all we can to surmount all the challenges we met on ground. We want to ensure that our pupils get the best they desire to compete favourably with their mates across the globe. Our staff are not left out as you can see in the face lift of the headquarters which can also be replicated at the local level in due course to improve the working condition of staff.
