The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has expressed concern that government bureaucracy is hindering important activities within his ministry. He made this known during a meeting with the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsudeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, and his team in Abuja on Wednesday.
Dr Alausa said delays in releasing funds are affecting the running of Federal Government Colleges, also known as Unity Schools. He shared how he once had to postpone the resumption of students because the vendors supplying food had not been paid and refused to deliver.
“Many principals are now facing insults and embarrassment from vendors because the government has not paid them for three to four months. The last time the ministry received overhead funds was in March”, he said.
The minister explained that if the budget for feeding students is released every three months (quarterly) instead of monthly, it would help prevent delays. He called on the Office of the Accountant-General to follow the example of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), which has introduced helpful reforms.
In response, the Accountant-General thanked the minister for raising the issues. He promised to work on improving the situation quickly. He also asked the Ministry of Education’s Director of Finance and Administration to send a formal request so that action can be taken.
Ogunjimi stated that the Ministry of Education is essential and assured that better steps will be taken to ensure the timely release of funds. He added that the federal government is reviewing its current financial policy to determine how it can enhance efficiency and effectiveness for ministries such as Education. The minister stated that the goal is to ensure that students are not affected and that schools continue to operate without interruption.
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