Reps Makes U-Turn On UBEC Executive Secretary, States Confidence In Her Reforms

 House of Reps Makes U-Turn on UBEC Executive Secretary, Passes vote of confidence on her reforms

The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Services has denied reports suggesting it received a petition against the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Aisha Garba, for alleged mismanagement.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Committee, Mark Bako Useni, the Committee clarified that no such issues were discussed or raised during a recent joint legislative retreat held in Lagos from Thursday, July 17 to Sunday, July 20, 2025.

According to Useni, the retreat — attended by members of both the House and Senate Committees on Basic Education — focused solely on the clause-by-clause review of reports related to proposed amendments to the UBEC Act.

Useni described the retreat as collaborative and constructive, aimed at strengthening the legal framework guiding basic education delivery in Nigeria.

He explained that at no point during the retreat did the Committee raise or deliberate on any allegations of mismanagement, administrative irregularities, or legal breaches by the Executive Secretary.

He emphasised that any opinions or allegations expressed by individuals should not be construed as official positions of the Committee.

The statement read, "The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Services wishes to state that it has not received any report of alleged acts of infraction of the Universal Basic Education Commission(UBEC) act or maladministration by the Executive Secretary of the Commission Aisha Garba as recently reported.

"The Committee, together with its Senate counterpart, was in Lagos from Thursday, 17th to Sunday, 20th July, 2025, for a joint legislative retreat which strictly focused on the clause-by-clause consideration of the reports on the proposed amendment to the UBE Act.

"The retreat was collaborative, constructive, and centred on strengthening the legal framework for basic education in Nigeria.[/b]

At no point during the retreat did the Committee raise or deliberate on any allegations of mismanagement, administrative irregularities, or legal breaches by the Executive Secretary.

[b]"Instead, both Committees have received briefing from the Management of the Commission on the proposed Amendment commended the Executive Secretary on the reforms she is introducing especially in the area quality assurance and collaboration with State Universal Basic Education Boards to achieve better Basic Education in Nigeria."

On July 19, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that the House of Representatives raised concerns over running of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) under the leadership of the new Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba.

Speaking on the sidelines of a joint legislative retreat on the UBE Act Amendment Bill 2025 in Lagos, Philip Agbese, deputy spokesperson of the House and member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadigbo federal constituency of Benue State, had said the key provisions of the UBEC Act were being violated through unilateral decisions.

The House noted that these decisions undermine transparency, accountability, and the morale of staff within the agency.

According to him, lawmakers had been briefed on multiple troubling developments, including the implementation of a new organogram without formal approval by the UBEC Governing Board, as required under Section 6(h) of the UBE Act.

Agbese said the decision to restructure the Commission’s reporting lines without due consultation was both irregular and legally questionable.

“We’re beginning to observe a creeping autocracy that has no place in a statutory agency like UBEC. The Executive Secretary may have been recommended as an expert from the World Bank, but UBEC is not a one-woman institution. Leadership in a federal agency demands respect for internal processes, institutions, and statutory roles—not a command-and-control structure driven by personal convictions alone,” Agbese had said.

“This is not just about bureaucracy—it’s about legality. We have confirmed that a new organogram was introduced without the knowledge or approval of the board. That’s a breach. It must be suspended pending proper review by the National Assembly and the board itself,” he added.

The lawmaker had also expressed dismay over the deployment of officers from other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) into senior UBEC roles, allegedly bypassing qualified internal staff.