The whole essence of Community Accountability & Transparency Initiative (CATI) is to get various institutions, civil society groups, town unions, etc involved in the following:
- Holding UBEC, SUBEBs, Contractors and the various Ministries of Education accountable for Government disbursements at all tiers.
- To get involved in the management and maintenance of quality and minimum standards in schools.
- To take ownership of falling standards of academic achievement of schools
The Federal Government of Nigeria enacted the Universal Basic Education Law in which it makes a provision of 2% of its Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) to finance the UBE programme. Thus the compulsory free Universal Basic education Act, 2004, provides a legal framework within which the Federal Government supports States towards achieving uninterrupted nine year compulsory Universal Basic Education for all children in primary and junior secondary school age throughout Nigeria.
Specific guidelines were given the States for accessing and utilizing the Funds.
All participating states are mandated to fulfill and abide by these guidelines.
The following are the conditions for accessing UBE matching Grant by States:
- Enactment of the States Universal Basic Education Law in compliance with section 12(1) of the UBE Act 2004.
- Establishment of State Universal Basic Education Board in compliance with section 12 (1) of the UBE Act 2004.
- Opening of separate bank account with the central bank titled “UBE Matching Grant Account” and forwarding the following particulars to UBEC before disbursement.
- Name and address of the bank.
- Title of the account.
- Account number.
- Names of signatories to the account: This must be in compliance with the requirement imposed by the Federal Executive Council, June 2005, which include a career officer not below rank of Director and the Executive Chairman of SUBEB.
- Following a presidential directive, UBEC should also be a signatory to Account.
- Evidence of lodgment of states’ counterpart contribution in compliance with section 11(2) of the UBE Act 2004.
- Development and submission of State Action plan to UBEC for approval, in compliance with a requirement imposed by the Federal Executive Council, June 2005.
- Submission of Projects Technical Report and Financial Reports indicating that the earlier disbursement has been judiciously utilized.
The Federal Executive Council approved the criteria for Fund Utilization of the UBE Intervention Fund to the States and FCT as follows:
- Expenditure by Components of UBE programme:
- Pre – Primary education - 5%
- Primary Education - 60%
- Junior Secondary Education - 35%
- Expenditure by activities in each of the components of the UBE
programme:
-
- Classroom construction.
- Classroom furniture.
- Classroom renovation/rehabilitation.
- Laboratory/workshop equipment.
- Introductory Technology equipment.
- Borehole construction.
- Construction of toilets, etc.
- Development/procurement of textbooks for pre-primary, four basic core subjects for primary and five basic core subjects for junior secondary schools.
- Library books.
- Development/procurement of teachers’ guide for Pre-primary, four core subjects for primary schools and five
core subjects for junior secondary schools.
- Teaching aids (excluding consumables), etc.
This includes: Short – term training and re- training of teachers at the three levels:
pre-primary, primary and junior secondary schools, with more emphasis on primary, JSS and pre- primary, in that order to be conducted by either the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Colleges of Education (COEs) or Institutes of Education and NIEPA to conduct those for managers of UBE institutions.
Before any SUBEB embarks on any of the UBE projects, both UBEC and SUBEB must agree as to the specific and particular needs of the state upon which projects/programmes evolve for execution by the grant.
To that effect, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
spelling – out the details shall be signed by both parties for execution by SUBEB.
Included in the MOUs is a clause to ensure that misused, misapplied or diverted funds are recovered through appropriate means, including suspension or outright stoppage of grants to such defaulting states
There shall be a Due Process Committee to be established at the SUBEB level with the following membership:
| Executive Chairman |
- Chairman |
| Board Secretary |
- Member |
| Director PRS |
- Member |
| Director Finance |
- Member |
| UBEC Representative |
- Member |
| Procurement officer |
- Member/Secretary |
The following are some of the major strategies for monitoring the utilization of the UBE FGN Funds:
- Regular routine and specialized supervision, monitoring and evaluation will be conducted by UBEC.
- Special financial audits will be instituted by the UBEC through the instrumentality of the internal auditors and financial officers as well as independent auditors.
- Specialized monitoring will be conducted jointly by UBEC, FMoF, FMoE, AGF, Budget Monitoring, National Planning, Project Monitoring Unit in the presidency, NGO, CBOs, and other civil Society Organizations.
- Occasional Presidential visitation will be instituted from time to time.
- The peer group mechanism among the states and among other African nations including the involvement of relevant UN agencies such as UNESCO, UNICEF and other relevant bilateral and multi – lateral agencies will be encouraged to participate in the process.
- REPORTINGThe UBE Commission shall hold regular review meetings with respect to the working of these guidelines and shall report to the Honourable Minister on the outcome of such review meetings.
- The Honourable Minister of Education shall keep Mr President constantly informed on the progress being made with respect to the workings of this initiative, drawing his attention to areas where serious interventions are required.
In the discharge of its functions as provided in the UBE Act 2004, the Universal Basic Education Commission went on a routine Financial Monitoring of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB)between the 3rd and 6th of July 2006, to identify which states had accessed the FGN-UBE intervention fund.
The findings of the exercise revealed that the sum of N24.30 Billion, representing the 2% CRF was made available for the year 2005, and the sum of N14.682 Billion for the 1st and 2nd quarters of the year 2006.
Thus as at July, 2006, the sum of N38.982 Billion was made available for disbursement as FGN-UBE intervention Fund, for the implementation of the UBE programme.
Out of the N24.30 Billion (2% CRF) allocated for the year 2005, the sum of N15.68 Billion was disbursed to states and the FCT as at July 2006.
The exercise also revealed that the total disbursement to states and FCT as at July 2006, of the Matching Grant was N12.085 Billion.
In view of her role and responsibilities as spelt out in the monitoring and reporting guidelines stated above and her knack for integrity and transparency, the Honourable Minister of Education, introduced an initiative code named; Community Accountability Transparency Initiative (CATI).
The whole essence of CATI is to get various individuals, institutions and civil society groups involved in the following:
- To hold the Federal and State eMinistries of Education accountable.
- To take ownership and responsibility for the falling standards in our schools.
- To get involved in the management and maintenance of minimum standards in schools.
- To be instrumental to the upward climb of Academic Achievement in our schools
The Federal Ministry of Education in line with its current reforms and transparency initiatives has produced a detailed breakdown of UBEC’s disbursement to all 36 states and the FCT.
This CATI booklets cover details per state for the year in view (July 2005 to July 2006).
These CATI booklets are to be made available to all Primary and Junior Secondary schools, teachers, Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs), Civil society groups (CSGs), Town Unions (TUs), Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), International Development Organizations (IDOs), Faith based Organizations (FBOs), other private institutions and individuals.
This is in line with PARAGRAPHS c and e of UBEC’s outlined monitoring mechanisms.
Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs), Civil society groups (CSGs), Town Unions (TUs), Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), International Development Organizations (IDOs), Faith based Organizations (FBOs), other private institutions and individuals e.t.c are to study these details, take the information in the CATI booklet and inspect the various schools within their locality.
These organizations are to identify various issues within the schools and note whether these funds have actually been utilized as stated in the CATI booklets.
These organizations are to fill the attached report / response slips on the last pages of the CATI booklet and return same to the Federal Ministry of Education CATI response and communications office in Abuja.
You can also call the CATI response numbers
(09-7205840-1; 09-7205851) at the FME.
You can also send your comments and reports by fax to the CATI response line at the FME.
You can also send your findings, comments and reports to the FME by
e-mail (cati@fme.gov.ng).
The Minister of Education will collate and investigate all comments and responses and report her findings to the President.
The final report will be published.
And all necessary action will be taken.
This Community Accountability and Transparency Initiative (CATI) is to be embarked on twice a year.
Click here for full details per state.
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