Ebonyi State Government has approved the executive bill on the establishment of the Education Development Trust Fund to the State House of Assembly for further legislative actions.
The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Barrister Ikeuwa Omebeh, made this disclosure in Abakaliki at the weekend while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the Executive Council meeting.
He said that the State Trust Fund, when established, will offer a dedicated, state-level financing mechanism that would sustainably mobilise public and private resources to strengthen the basic education system in the state.
According to him, “Following a proposal from the Federal Ministry of Education requesting the establishment of the State Education Development Trust Fund by the Ebonyi State Government to strengthen Basic Education in the State”
“The fund would attract contributions from a broad range of stakeholders, including government taxes, development partners, corporate bodies, and well-meaning indigenes towards priority investments”
“The Ebonyi Education Development Trust Fund, when established, is expected to also offer a credible and sustainable solution to Ebonyi State’s basic education challenges by aligning resources for greater impacts through transparent governance, joint planning, and strong oversight”
On the issue ofthe Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile of the government, the Commissioner said that the Executive Council accepted the report and recommendations of the committee set up to investigate the activities of the board.
“The Executive Council approved that there should be rejigging in the membership of Ebonyi State Revenue Service and close monitoring to checkmate their activities”
“That every award of contract should pass through a transparent bidding and other due process of Law before approval”
Speaking against the backdrop of project monitoring and evaluation, the Commissioner said that the Executive Council approved that henceforth, all Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) must inform the Ministry of Project Monitoring and Evaluation of any contract or project going on in their MDAs.
