The House of Representatives has debunked media reports suggesting that the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr Aisha Garba, is being investigated for mismanagement and administrative infractions.
The clarification came following claims in a section of the media alleging infractions against the commission’s leadership.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Mark B. Useni, in a statement late Sunday night, described the report as “false, misleading and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.”
Mark stressed that the National Assembly had not received any official complaint or report indicating that the UBEC boss breached the law or acted outside her mandate.
“The headline falsely suggested that it reflected the official position of the committee. At no time did the House or its Senate counterpart raise or deliberate on any allegations against the Executive Secretary during our recent activities,” Useni stated.
He explained that both committees were in Lagos from July 17 to 20, 2025, for a joint legislative retreat focused solely on clause-by-clause consideration of proposed amendments to the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act.
According to him, the meeting was strictly legislative and geared toward strengthening the legal framework guiding basic education in Nigeria.
The committee chairman further disclosed that rather than querying Dr Garba, the committee actually commended her for the ongoing reforms she has introduced, especially in the area of quality assurance and coordination with state universal basic education boards to improve learning outcomes nationwide.
He cautioned against associating the work of the committee with unverified media reports or the personal views of individuals.
“Any matters regarding the performance or administration of UBEC must be handled through appropriate legislative channels and not via speculative reports,” he added.
The lawmaker reaffirmed that since her appointment by President Bola Tinubu, Dr Garba had consistently demonstrated professionalism and accountability.
He urged media organisations to act responsibly and ensure that opinions were not presented as official positions of the National Assembly.
The Deputy Chairman of the committee, Philip Agbese, who was quoted in earlier media reports, was said to have expressed concerns about alleged “unilateral decisions” at UBEC while speaking informally at the Lagos retreat.
Useni clarified that such comments, made on the sidelines, were personal and not reflective of any resolution reached by the committee.
