{"id":66929,"date":"2019-05-27T06:06:40","date_gmt":"2019-05-27T05:06:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=66929"},"modified":"2019-05-27T06:06:40","modified_gmt":"2019-05-27T05:06:40","slug":"success-adegor-serap-sues-okowa-over-poor-substandard-primary-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/success-adegor-serap-sues-okowa-over-poor-substandard-primary-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"Success Adegor: SERAP sues Okowa over ‘poor, substandard primary\u00a0 schools’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
lawsuit asking the Federal High Court to: “compel governor Ifeanyi
\nArthur Okowa of Delta State to explain the disparity between budgetary
\nallocations to primary education and the reality that several of the
\naround 1,124 primary schools across the State are in shambles, and with
\nvery poor teaching facilities.”<\/p>\n

According to SERAP’s lawsuit: “tens of thousands of Nigerian children
\nare being left behind in Delta state and their futures put in jeopardy.
\nThese children are being short-changed and they deserve to know how much
\nexactly has the state government spent between 2015 and 2019, on their
\neducation.”<\/p>\n

Joined as Defendants in the suit are the Universal Basic Education
\nCommission (UBEC) and Delta State Universal Basic Education Board
\n(SUBEB).<\/p>\n

In the suit number FHC\/L\/CS\/803\/2019 filed last Friday before the
\nFederal High Court in Lagos, SERAP argued: “The refusal by the governor,
\nUBEC and SUBEB to respond to SERAP’s FOI requests can only be construed
\nto mean denial of the information sought. We shouldn’t have to ask for
\nthe information on spending on primary schools in the state. The poor
\nconditions of primary schools across the state would seem to suggest
\nthat the government has abandoned poor children in Delta state.”<\/p>\n

SERAP had in separate Freedom of Information requests to the governor,
\nUBEC and SUBEB last month said: “The evidence of education deficit in
\nthe state is further buttressed by the case of Success Adegor, who was
\nsent home because her parents could not pay the illegal school fee\/levy
\nof N900 and the insufficient and poor-quality education infrastructure
\nof Okotie-Eboh Primary School 1, Sapele.”<\/p>\n

The suit read in part: “We seek an order of the court granting leave to
\napply for judicial review and to seek an order of mandamus compelling
\ngovernor Okowa, UBEC and SUBEB to provide to SERAP details of
\ndisbursement and spending of UBEC funds disbursed to the Delta State
\ngovernment.”<\/p>\n

“The governor, UBEC and SUBEB have nothing to lose if the information is
\nreleased to SERAP and members of the public. It is in the interest of
\njustice that the information be released. Unless the reliefs sought
\nherein are granted, the governor, UBEC and SUBEB will continue to be in
\nbreach of the Freedom of Information Act, and other constitutional and
\nstatutory responsibilities.”<\/p>\n

“The information is needed to verify and establish the truth about the
\nspending on education by the government, for the purposes of
\ntransparency and accountability. There must be accountability for the
\nmassive budgetary allocations to primary education in the state,
\nincluding the funds provided by UBEC. Providing the requested
\ninformation will also allow the citizens to track the level of execution
\nof education projects in the state.”<\/p>\n

“Access to information held by public authorities is a fundamental
\nelement of the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by Section 39
\nof the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and vital to the
\nproper functioning of any democratic system.”<\/p>\n

“We seek an order of the court for disclosure of details of budgetary
\nallocations and actual spending by Delta State government between 2015
\nand 2019, including specific projects carried out to improve access to
\nfree and quality primary education in the state, the locations of such
\nprojects and the primary schools that have benefited from the projects,
\nand details of what the government is doing to improve access to
\neducation for children with disabilities.”<\/p>\n

“We also seek disclosure of details of reports, if any, made to UBEC by
\nthe Delta state government on specific projects carried out to ensure
\nimprovement of access to free and quality primary education in Delta
\nstate between 2015 and 2019, the locations of such projects and the
\nprimary schools that have benefited from the projects.”<\/p>\n

“We seek an order of the court for disclosure of details of the steps
\nthe government is taking to improve the overall welfare of children in
\nprimary schools across Delta State as well as details of the
\ngovernment’s fee-free programme, if any, across primary schools in the
\nState and information on indirect costs, including uniforms, exercise
\nbooks, and transport costs to students and their parents.”<\/p>\n

“We seek an order of the court for disclosure of specific details of the
\nsteps the UBEC is taking to ensure improvement of the overall welfare of
\nchildren in primary schools across Delta State as well as details of
\nspecific projects by the UBEC to ensure improvement of access to
\neducation for children with disabilities in Delta State.”<\/p>\n

“We seek an order of the court for disclosure of details of disbursement
\nby the UBEC and SUBEB to the Delta State government and actual spending
\nby the government on primary school education monitored, including
\nspecific projects carried out to improve access to free and quality
\nprimary education in Delta State, the locations of such projects and the
\nprimary schools that have benefited from the projects.”<\/p>\n

SERAP’s FOI requests to the governor, UBEC and SUBEB read in part: “Full
\ndevelopment of human personality is essential objective of education. A
\nstrong Delta State in the future requires a strong education system
\ntoday. A poor education system will severely cripple Delta State’s
\nfuture growth, development and sustainability, both socially and
\neconomically.”<\/p>\n

“SERAP notes that since assuming office, your government has received
\nover N7.8 billion from Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). Your
\ngovernment has also received funds from federal allocations to Delta
\nState. Your government accessed over N3 billion of UBEC funds between
\n2015 and 2016, while also reportedly approved the release of N1.28
\nbillion counterpart funds to enable it access UBEC funds for 2017.\u00a0 Your
\ngovernment also received N213 billion from Federation Accounts
\nAllocation Committee (FAAC) in 2018, at an average of N17.8 billion
\nmonthly.”<\/p>\n

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit asking the Federal High Court to: “compel governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa of Delta State to explain the disparity between budgetary…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nSuccess Adegor: SERAP sues Okowa over 'poor, substandard primary\u00a0 schools' - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/success-adegor-serap-sues-okowa-over-poor-substandard-primary-schools\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Success Adegor: SERAP sues Okowa over 'poor, substandard primary\u00a0 schools' - 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