The Impact of education on the development of a nation cannot be overemphasised as no country can really develop unless its citizens get optimal education. Follow The Money team taking into cognizance the underlying factors that will enable the provision of smooth learning environment for all, even in the most remote part of the nation during its data mining process uncovered that the Universal Basic Education Commission on its tender advertisement, called for bids on the construction of 2 Blocks of (3) Classrooms in Mairi Kuwait Area of Jere Federal Constituency in Borno State as one of its 2017 constituency projects.

Follow The Money has Initiated #ErectMairiKuwait campaign to track, monitor and facilitate the implementation of this project and provide all necessary information to the beneficiary community in order to enable citizens inclusion in the project. Through this campaign we are calling on stakeholders, most importantly the Universal Basic Education Commission and the general public to participate fully in this campaign and provide all necessary information that will facilitate full implementation of the project.

To join this campaign, log on to www.ifollowthemoney.org

Projects Implementation Totally Completed

26 April 2018: The FTM Borno Chapter went to the school for project monitoring. It was observed that the other block of classrooms has been completed making it 2 completed blocks of classrooms.

The Lawan of Mairi Commends the Government On the Project Completion

26 April 2018: The Lawan of Mairi commended the government on the project completion. He further requested the government to fence the school and provide some amenities.

Project Implementation Almost Ending 

3 April 2018: During a monitoring visit to the project site, it was found that one of the blocks of classrooms has been completed. While the implementation of the 2nd one is ongoing.

Borno State SUBEB Was Not Carried Along in The Implementation of Project

22 March 2018: The SUBEB engineer in attendance commented that they used to receive introductory letters from different contractors implementing public projects which give them the opportunity to provide effective oversight and monitoring of the projects. But in this case, the contractor did not get in touch with them. The contractor, on the other hand, commented that he received direct orders from the House of Reps Member not to give heads-up to SUBEB.

Contractor Claimed Project to End in Three Weeks Time 

22 March 2018: The contractor who was given an opportunity to clarify and give information with regard to the project commented that the project is supposed to end in 3 weeks. He also commented that part of the project includes the provision of 40 desks in each of the classes.

Headmaster Condemns the Location of the Project 

22 March 2018: During the town hall meeting, the headmaster faulted the siting of the school project. He suggested the project will have been in the school rather than taking it to a different location and called on them to build the remaining ones in the school so as to ease the suffering of the pupils under the shed of the tree.

Follow the Money Team Hold Town Hall Meeting  

22 March 2018: A town hall meeting was held at Maimusari Primary School to discuss the school project’s implementation. In attendance were major stakeholders including the Lawan of Mairi (Community Head); SBMC Chairman (Mohammed Lawan); the two Bulama’s of Mairi and Kuwait; Deputy Director Schools (Amina Abubakar) representing the chairman of SUBEB alongside SUBEB Engineer; the LGA Secretary; the representative of the LGA Chairman; the acting principal of Maimusari Junior Day Secondary School; the headmaster of Maimusari Primary School; the Contractor, Musa Chiwar (Ravicam Investment Ltd); community members; and representatives of four media houses, Dandal Kura International Radio, Kanem FM, Radio Nigeria Peace FM, Yerwa Express Daily Nigeria.

Find the full report here.

Community Head Was Properly Briefed on the Project 

5 March 2018: In an interview with the community head of Mairi Kuwait, Lawan Mohammed, he commented, I had no knowledge of the project only for me to discover that a land was purchased by the member representing JERE. We were been told that the school is to be built by him with his money. Only now that you are telling us that it is a constituency project through his effort by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Work Already Started at the School 

5 March 2018: During a community outreach at Mairi Kuwait Maimusari Primary and Junior Secondary School, we observed that the contractor has started digging the foundation for the block of classrooms construction.

Find the outreach report here.

School Lacks Essential Learning Aids 

5th February 2018: A rapid appraisal of the facility reveals that there are 9 classrooms at the junior secondary section and 14 classrooms at the primary and nursery sections. Most of these classrooms are in a deplorable state, needing urgent attention, highly over-crowded and lacking in basic learning aids/ equipment.

School Teachers Sits Under the Tree with the Pupils

5th February 2018: “My office is the common room over there. The Vice Principal manages at a corner in the laboratory. Other members of staff sit under the tree, where they manage as the staff room,” lamented the Principal, whom we met and gave an overview over the state of affairs across the primary and secondary schools in the facility.

Community Not Aware of the Project

5th February 2018: While the school has about 76 academic staffs both permanent and N-Power staffs in the junior secondary section and about 55 staffs in the primary section, the community is a beneficiary of the Federal Constituency Project for the construction of 2 blocks of classrooms. However, community members are not aware of the proposed projects, as at the time of this visit.

Follow the Money Team Went for Community Outreach

 

5th February 2018: During an outreach to Mairi Kuwait, by our community reporter, Sadiq Mu’azu, it was learnt that the school has 305 pupils in nursery section; 3,094 in primary section; and a total of 1,400 students in the junior secondary section. The school also accommodates other IDP pupils/schools from areas affected by terrorism particularly Bama and Gwoza.