TOWNHALL MEETING: FACT-CHECK: How true is Fintiri’s claim that Adamawa govt spent N10 billion on UBEC Counterpart funding?
The Governor of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Fintiri, on Friday said the state government has spent N10 billion on UBEC counterparts funding for 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
He made this claim while addressing participants at the town hall meeting organised by the Adamawa state government held at Government House Banquet Hall in Yola.
The governor said within his one year in office, government has paid counterpart funding for Universal Basic Education UBE emoluments for the year 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 while process for accessing 2020 grant has been completed.
THE CLAIM
On the education sector, Governor Fintiri said within his one year in office, government has paid counterpart funding for Universal Basic Education UBE emoluments for the year 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 while process for accessing 2020 grant has been completed.
He further said construction on over 300 kilometres of rural roads were ongoing in addition over 18.3 kilometres of new roads are under construction in the state capital which are at the various stages of completion.
The Governor said his administration has approved thirty two thousand naira minimum wage for state government workers and therefore it will facilitate same to local government workers at the local government level.
He added that his administration has made on ground the State Civil Service which was characterised with irregularities but was able to be revived it through reformations such reintroduction of exams for promotion into the office of permanent secretary.
Verification Of Claim
The governor said within his one year in office, government has paid counterpart funding for Universal Basic Education UBE emoluments for the year 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 while process for accessing 2020 grant has been completed.
According to the Universal Basic education, the Adamawa state has never defaulted in payment of counterpart funding for UBEC unless in 2018 and 2019, the pending unacess fund for Adamawa state is for 2018 and 2019 totalling 1,473,832,845.21 and 614,097,018.83 respectively. According to the documents seen and published by the Finder, Adamawa state paid counterpart funding from 2005 through 2017.
According to official documents from the Universal basic education, Adamawa state has about the N2.3 billion naira unaccessed from 2018 and 2019, however Bindow could not have paid 2019 as counterpart funding of UBEC in 2019 as it is paid on second quarter of every year, as Bindow hand over power to Fintiri in first quarter of 2019.
Going by available data on capital releases for to Adamawa state from 2005 to 2017 , a total of N10 billion naira was spent on Adamawa UBEC from 2005 50 2017, a figure which is same with the amount the governor claim he has paid as counterpart funding to UBEC from 2016 to 2019.
The claim by the Governor that this government has so far spent N10 billion in paying UBEC counterpart funding is, therefore, FALSE.
A previous fact check had also shown that Adamawa state has been up to date in payment of UBEC counterpart as it was only in 2018 under Bindow that counterpart fund was not release.