By Nicholas Dechi
Makurdi, – The Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in Benue, Dr Philip Tachin, has threatened to drag some contractors who were foot-dragging on their jobs before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by December.
Tachin, in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Makurdi, said that contracts for the rehabilitation of schools were awarded at the same time and he could not understand why some contractors were lagging behind.
He wondered why a good number of contractors had completed jobs given to them on schedule and according to specification, while some had yet to do so.
”I will submit their names to the EFCC for investigation because I cannot soil my reputation. I will commence the compilation of their names by the end of December,” he said.
Tachin also spoke on an award given him by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), saying it would spur him to do more for the education sector in the state.
He said that out of the so many states in the North Central region, he was the only SUBEB chairman that was singled out for the award.
The chairman said he was simply performing his statutory responsibilities according to laid down rules without thinking of any reward mechanism put in place by the commission.
”I did a lot of things for the growth and development of the basic education sector but I did not think they would earn me an award.
”Even the projects that were handled by the board were carried out according to specification because I always hammer on quality.
”I always tell the contractors to do quality jobs and that is why the Committee on Project Monitoring of the commission give us clean pass each time they inspect projects in the state,” he said.
Tachin said that the quality of teaching in the public schools had improved greatly, and their students had excelled in many debates.
”They came second in a competition that took place in Anambra where many states were eliminated. This is not a mean feat at all,” he said.