A federal lawmaker, Philip Agbese, has expressed concern over what he described as a breakdown of proper leadership at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
During a legislative retreat on amending the UBE Act in Lagos, Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadigbo in Benue, said important rules in the UBEC Act are being ignored. He claimed the agency’s top leadership is making decisions alone, without involving others, which hurts transparency and staff morale.
Agbese pointed out that UBEC’s Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, who took office in December 2024, had promised to focus on reducing the number of out-of-school children. However, he fears her leadership style may prevent that goal from being achieved.
He said UBEC is becoming too autocratic, which is not acceptable for a federal agency. According to him, running such a commission requires teamwork, following the law, and respecting roles—not simply giving orders from the top.
Agbese also revealed that lawmakers were informed about troubling developments, such as the introduction of a new organogram (organizational structure) that wasn’t approved by UBEC’s board, even though the law requires board approval under Section 6(h) of the UBE Act.
He criticized the leadership for changing the reporting structure without consulting the board, saying it’s not just wrong but also illegal. He urged that the new structure should be suspended until it is properly reviewed.
Another major concern, according to Agbese, is the posting of officials from other government agencies into high-level positions in UBEC, bypassing qualified internal staff.
He said this weakens the system because it pushes out experienced UBEC workers, which goes against the rules stated in Section 10(1) and (3) of the UBE Act.
Agbese further said that two Deputy Executive Secretaries (DES) at UBEC are being sidelined and no longer involved in key decisions. He claimed their roles are being turned into ceremonial positions, in violation of Sections 5(2) and (3).
He noted that concentrating too much power in one person’s hands is slowing down UBEC’s work. Projects are delayed, and contractors have not been paid for jobs completed since February, which is affecting lawmakers who pushed for those projects.
Agbese called on the federal government to step in and restore proper oversight and processes at UBEC.
He made it clear that lawmakers support reforms, especially to help out-of-school children. But he warned that reforms must not be carried out in secrecy or by ignoring rules.
The lawmaker suggested a full review of UBEC’s current leadership practices, stopping the posting of outside staff, and holding a board meeting to review all recent changes since December.
He also said the House Committee on Basic Education may invite the Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, for a private briefing.
Finally, Agbese warned that no public office should be allowed to act without checks. He said if the Executive Secretary has nothing to hide, she should welcome the chance to answer questions. Nigeria’s education system, he said, is too fragile for any form of unchecked leadership.
