COMMISSIONER URGES RELEASE OF N15M GRANT TO FOUNDATION

The Niger State Commissioner for Tourism, Alhaji Abubakar Chika, has appealed to Governor Babangida Aliyu to release a N15m marching grant to the Emirate Education Foundation.

Ckika told the News Agency of Nigeria in Minna on Thursday that the grant would enable the foundation to carry out some intervention projects.

NAN reported that the governor had stopped the release of the grant over alleged embezzlement of funds by the foundation's past officials.

Chika said that the current leadership of the foundation had started investigations into the alleged embezzlement and would ensure that any misappropriated fund was recovered.

He said a committee had been set up to investigate the affairs of the foundation and identify those allegedly involved in the misappropriation.

'I am appealing to the governor to approve the release of the fund in view of the confidence he has in the new officials of the foundation,' he added.

Chika said the foundation would focus on the provision of toilets, furniture and boreholes in public schools.

He stressed that all adults in the emirate were expected to contribute to the foundation's fund.

Chika said he had so far spent N2.7m on the provision of furniture in public schools in Rafi Emirate as part of his contributions toward uplifting the standard of education.

'When I was appointed commissioner, I set aside N300,000 monthly for the past nine months for the provision of furniture in schools,' he added.

The commissioner said he decided to personally intervene in the provision of furniture in public schools in the emirate because of their state of dilapidation.

'The situation requires the attention of every indigene. I decided to make personal contribution to complement government's efforts.

'It is unfortunate that the administration inherited an educational sector that had almost collapsed,'' he said.