At least 80 Gombe education projects unfunded despite budget—State spends billions on entertainment
By Aminu Abubakar
A SolaceBase review of the Gombe State budget performance document for 2024 has shown a pattern of neglect for projects listed under the state’s Ministry of Education.
SolaceBase analysis shows that at least eighty projects were not funded despite monies budgeted for them in the 2024 budget documents.
For instance, the budget for the furnishing of the Special Education Centre stood at N15 million, but zero Naira was spent between January and December 2024.
Construction works at GSTC Nyuwar and Kumo were budgeted at N10 million each; however, no money was spent on them between January and December 2024.
Read Also: N1 Billion perimeter fence project overshadows educational needs at Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy
Construction works at GJSS Todi also stood at N10 million, while GGSS Malala and GDSS Galshingi stood at N3 million and N5 million respectively, with no money spent.
Construction works at GSS Kaltungo stood at N15 million; however, no money was spent on it in 2024.
Other projects that had various budgets but no amount spent on them included: construction and renovation works at Primary School Todi, GSTC Amada, GSSS Gombe, GGSSS Cham, and GDSS Cham.
Others also include construction works at: Kombani Primary School, Sidiqqi Primary School, JSS Lano Primary School, Tsangaya School, JSS Zambuk, among many other projects listed under the state’s Ministry of Education.
While the education sector projects were largely neglected and remained unfunded in 2024, Gombe State spent N3.1 billion on entertainment and hospitality in the same year.
In fact, the total budget for construction/provision of public schools in Gombe State for the 2024 fiscal year stood at N5 billion, but the state spent only N400.1 million as of the end of the year, representing only 7.9% budget performance.
The rehabilitation and repairs of public schools, budgeted for 2024, stood at a meagre N113 million, but the state ended up spending only N15 million throughout the year.
Earlier this year, a report by Daily Trust had bemoaned the state of education in the state, noting that out-of-school children in the state have turned to labourers.
It was further reported that the Special Education Centre, one of the schools that should have benefited from the government funding in 2024, cut a desolate and deplorable figure.
Data by the National Bureau of Statistics shows a grim picture of access to education in the state, with 48% of children in the state lacking access to education. The NBS stated it in its Multidimensional Poverty Index data.
In 2024, as it failed to fund education projects, the Gombe State Government was reported as decrying the alarming rate of out-of-school children in the state, saying available data shows that one in three children are not going to school, meaning that they are out of school (nationally), and the three out of four children going to school are not able to learn, read, and do simple arithmetic.
Most recent data provided by the Universal Basic Education Commission shows that Gombe State failed to access N1.3 billion UBEC fund. The state was meant to provide matching funding and utilise the money for the development of basic education in the state.
Comments are closed.