About N55bn of the Universal Basic Education scheme has become inaccessible for 18 months by 27 state governments and the Federal Capital Territory because of their failure to contribute their matching grants to the scheme.

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Alhaji Dikko Suleiman, in a letter dated June 9, 2015, a copy of which was obtained by The PUNCH on Tuesday, stated that only nine states had been up-to-date in the contribution of their matching grants to the scheme.

The letter was addressed to the law firm of human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), in response to his request for the information under the Freedom of Information Act.

An appendix attached to Suleiman’s response to Falana listed the nine states that had been accessing the UBE fund as Adamawa, Anambra, Borno, Imo, Gombe, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Taraba. It revealed that Ebonyi was the most-indebted state with its last contribution to the scheme made in 2010.

The letter also revealed that Abia, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Ekiti states were among the 14 states which last contributed to the scheme in 2012. Others included Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo and Oyo.

Other 12 states which last contribution was in 2013 are Bauchi, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Osun, Plateau, Rivers, Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT.

Under section 2 of the Universal Basic Education Act 2004, the Federal Government is expected to contribute two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government to the scheme while the state governments are expected to contribute a matching grant of the same amount before they can access the fund.

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