Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, says he is committed to recovering accumulated and unclaimed funds earmarked for the State by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).
Governor Otti made the pledge while hosting a delegation of the House of Representatives Committee on TETFUND and Other Services, led by its Chairperson, Hon. Princess Miriam Odinakachi Onuoha, at the Government House, Umuahia.
Governor Otti highlighted the urgent need to overhaul the State’s Education sector, emphasizing that accessing TETFUND interventions is crucial for addressing the alarming state of public schools in Abia.
“There is no way we can make progress without these funds. So, whatever it takes, I’m going to do it. I will outsource my Commissioner for Tertiary Education to you so that we can get the unclaimed funds and use it.
“If you get to our schools and see the level of dilapidation, you will understand the level of ruins and how much we need this funds; In fact, sometime you will be wondering how people actually manage to graduate from these schools.
“One thing that we know is that the problem doesn’t get solved by bemoaning the problem. We don’t believe in that. We take actions, we believe that actions solved problems“, the Governor stated.
Governor Otti further expressed gratitude to the delegation for their oversight visit, calling it a wake-up call for a state and stressed that reclaiming the funds would be a significant step toward improving the quality of Education and infrastructure in Abia State.
He noted that his administration declared a state of emergency in Education as well as allocated 20% of its budget to Education and recently implemented free and compulsory education for pupils from Primary to Junior Secondary School.
In her remarks, Hon. Princess Miriam Onuoha explained that the Committee’s visit was part of its oversight functions, aimed at identifying and resolving issues causing the accumulation of unclaimed TETFUND allocations in Abia State.
Hon. Onuoha noted that the House recently established a dedicated Standing Committee on TETFUND to enhance accountability and ensure efficient utilization of allocated funds.
She said that the House has relaxed some of the stringent conditions causing the delay, providing an opportunity for the committee to speak with beneficiaries, stakeholders on areas of challenges as well assist them in ensuring that the backlogs are cleared.
“The Committee paid a courtesy call and oversight visit to TETFUND on the 30/5/2024 and discovered that the funds yet to be utilized was over 500 billion that had been allocated to beneficiary Tertiary Institutions and we probed further and found out that there were divergent reasons for this stalemate and accumulation of funds.
“The Committee rose from a meeting with a resolution of the house to set up this Technical Committee comprising members of the committee, members of TETFUND itself, consultants to come to the affected states and institutions”, she said.
Hon. Onuoha pledged her Committee’s full support for Abia State in accessing its rightful share of TETFUND interventions, and commended Governor Otti’s efforts in driving growth and development.
The delegation later held a Technical Session with key Stakeholders, including the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Uche Eme Uche, and representatives of Tertiary Institutions in the state.
Participants included the Vice-Chancellor of Abia State University (ABSU), the Rector of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic Aba, and the Provost of the College of Education Technical Arochukwu.
The delegation also included Hon. Okwara Osonwa, representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency; Chief Alex Ikwuechegh, representing Aba North/South Federal Constituency; and other members of the House Committee on TETFUND.
