Philip Agbese, a member of the House of Representatives representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadigbo federal constituency of Benue, has raised serious concerns about what he describes as a "gradual erosion of institutional integrity" within the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
Speaking at a joint legislative retreat on the UBE Act Amendment Bill 2025 in Lagos on Thursday, Agbese alleged that key provisions of the UBEC Act are being violated through unilateral decisions that undermine transparency, accountability, and staff morale within the agency.
"We're beginning to observe a creeping autocracy that has no place in a statutory agency like UBEC. 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 stated.
Allegations of Statutory Violations
According to the lawmaker, who also serves as the deputy spokesperson at the House of Representatives, UBEC Executive Secretary Aisha Garba, who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in December 2024, has implemented a new organizational structure without formal approval from the UBEC Governing Board—a requirement under Section 6(h) of the UBE Act.
"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 declared.
Agbese further expressed concern over the deployment of officers from other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) into senior UBEC positions, allegedly bypassing qualified internal staff. He argued this practice violates the spirit of Section 10(1) and (3) of the UBE Act.
Marginalization of Deputy Executive Secretaries
Perhaps most concerning, according to Agbese, is the reported marginalization of the two Deputy Executive Secretaries (DES), whose statutory roles are allegedly being "deliberately undermined" in what he described as a "worrying power consolidation."
"The Executive Secretary is said to be taking all decisions unilaterally. The DESs are barely consulted. Their statutory responsibilities under Section 5(2) and (3) have been reduced to ceremonial roles. That's not how UBEC was designed to function," he emphasized.
The lawmaker maintained that this over-centralization of authority has created operational bottlenecks, slowed down program delivery, and delayed payments for completed constituency projects, some dating back to February.
Call for Intervention
Agbese called on the federal government to intervene urgently and re-establish proper oversight mechanisms to restore internal efficiency and rule-based governance at UBEC. He recommended an immediate performance audit of UBEC's leadership practices, a halt to further external staff deployments, and a directive for the Governing Board to review all structural changes implemented since December.
The lawmaker also revealed that the House Committee on Basic Education may summon Garba for a closed-door briefing on the state of affairs at the Commission.
"We will not allow any public institution to drift into impunity under our watch. If the Executive Secretary has nothing to hide, then she should have no problem answering these questions," Agbese said. "We can't afford a technocratic dictatorship under the guise of reform. Nigeria's education system is too fragile for that."
It's worth noting that when Garba assumed office in December 2024, she publicly stated that addressing Nigeria's 10.5 million out-of-school children crisis would be the central focus of her administration. However, Agbese suggests that this goal may be imperiled by her leadership approach.
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