The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has revealed that states like Benue, Ekiti, Enugu and Nasarawa are yet to access their N11.5billion after they failed to come up with their counterpart funds.

This was revealed by the deputy executive secretary of UBEC, Dr. Yakubu Gambo, who represented the executive secretary, Dr Dikko Suleiman, at a workshop on Entrenching Transparency and Integrity in the Financial and Procurement Process of UBEC and SUBEBs, held at the headquarters of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Dr Gambo disclosed that the states that have the highest amounts of unaccessed funds include Benue with N3.2billion, Ekiti and Enugu with N2.8billion each, and Nasarawa with N2.7billion.

He also explained that Ekiti State had manipulated the system by taking a loan and presenting such as counterpart fund, only to return the loan after getting the UBEC fund.

He warned against such sharp practices and noted that Ekiti State has been sanctioned accordingly, even as the new state government is working towards rectifying the situation.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the ICPC, Mr Ekpo Nta, has warned against misuse, embezzlement or misappropriation of the released UBEC funds, noting that such crime will not go unpunished.

Earlier, the provost of the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria, Prof Sola Akinrinade, stressed the importance of the programme because the Basic Education system is the gateway to education systems in the country, adding that there is the need for the agency to identify corruption-prone processes and recommend remedial measures.