The Executive Secretary, National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC), Dr Iyela Ajayi, says the commission is exploring strategies for effective fund utilisation to curb corrupt practices.
Ajayi said this at a three-day Retreat on Effective Resource Utilisation and Anti-Corruption for NSSEC Management Staff and selected Chairmen of State Senior Secondary Education Boards (SSEBs) in Keffi on Thursday.
According to him, the retreat is organised for the purpose of promoting synergy between the NSSEC Management and SSEBs on effective ways of utilising funds.
Ajayi said this would help to eliminate corrupt practices in the discharge of their responsibilities.
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He said that President Bola Tinubu had placed much priority on the development of education sector which he said was evident in the budget allocation to the sector in the 2024 Appropriation Act.
“To achieve Mr President’s agenda in the education sector, the Honourable ministers of Education launched a roadmap for the revitalisation of the sector.
“At a meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the ministers mandated all departments/agencies in the ministry to develop a quick win projects/activities for the year 2024.
“A team from the ministry will be going round every quarter to assess the level of performance,” Ajayi said.
He said that few state Senior Secondary Education Board chairmen were present at the retreat due to the fact that many states were yet to establish their boards.
Ajayi called on states to domesticate the NSSEC law by establishing their SSEBs in order to benefit from the intervention fund.
Also speaking, Mr Richard Bello, Head, Trainer and Consultancy, ICPC and Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria, urged public servants to always ensure that corruption was eliminated by not aiding and abetting corruption.
Earlier, Mary Okwori, Head of Reform-Servicom and Anti-Corruption Unit in the Commission, commended the visionary role of the executive secretary in eliminating corrupt practices in the system.
Okwori said that the executive secretary had reinforced due process, accountability and probity in financial matters among many other positive contributions.
“The retreat is to refresh our memories on the application of public service rules and financial regulations especially in the areas of funds utilisation and prevention of corrupt practices.
“In this regard, we have invited seasoned resource persons to educate us on promoting anti-Corruption practices in the public service, and promoting sound public expenditure management,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event also brought about the signing of performance evaluation bond by the management staff.
The performance bond is to serve as an evaluation of the activities of heads of department within the specified period of time under review. (NAN)
