From Tina Agosi Todo, Calabar 

Chairman of the Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof. Bassey Esu, has called for the deduction of five per cent from the monthly allocation of local council funds to support basic education across the state.
 
This proposal was presented during a strategic meeting with chairmen of the 18 local councils, organised by the Commissioner for Education, Stephen Odey.
Prof. Esu, represented by the Board’s Permanent Secretary, Etta Inyang, noted that the deduction would significantly enhance SUBEB’s ability to manage primary and junior secondary education, as well as address critical challenges within the sector.
   
Inyang explained that before 2015, a five per cent overhead cost was deducted at source from the emoluments of primary school teachers and staff of local education authorities and paid directly into the SUBEB account. This, he said, ensured the smooth delivery of basic education services.
  
“You may recall that at the inception of the State Primary Education Board, deductions, including a 5 per cent overhead, were made directly at the source and remitted to SUBEB. This system allowed for efficient and uninterrupted service delivery,” Inyang said.

He urged council chairmen to consider revisiting the policy, suggesting that if five per cent appears excessive, the councils could propose a realistic and sustainable percentage for legislative consideration.
   
Also, the Commissioner for Education, Stephen Odey, encouraged local councils to allocate part of their resources to fund the offices of education secretaries to revitalise their operations and enhance efficiency.
  
On her part, the Director of the Agency for Adult and Non-Formal Education, Dr. Alice Olom, stressed the importance of reviving adult education programmes to provide educational opportunities for residents who missed out on formal schooling.