The Chairman of the Delta State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has described the clip of a viral social media video showing some pupils sitting on the floor at Eghereka Primary School, Ewu, in Ughelli south local government area, as politically motivated.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, the Chairman of SUBEB, Hon. Samuel Mariere, said the viral video was a deliberate attempt to discredit the laudable achievements of the Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He noted that while the Board would ordinarily not respond to such politically induced content, it was necessary to provide the public with accurate information on the government’s ongoing efforts to improve the quality of teaching and learning in Delta schools.
Hear him: “I am a politician, We know where our enemies are, the essence of this politics is either they diminish what the State government is achieving.
“They are aware of what the government is achieving. They are aware that the State government is achieving a lot in education, they are aware that we emerged the world champion in basic school debate.
“They are aware that in innovation, we went to represent the country in Sweden, they are also aware that we have emerged in the national under 15 Champions to represent the country at the CAF level and possibly at the world FIFA level”.
He said Ughelli north, south and Udu local government areas are not the only councils where there are gaps in furniture, “there are gaps everywhere in the State and we admit that”, he said.
He emphasized that Governor Oborevwori’s administration has made significant investments in the education sector, particularly in the construction of classrooms, provision of learning materials, and teachers’ welfare.
“So far this year, the Board has constructed and distributed over 16,000 dual desks to schools across the State,” the statement said.
“This is aside from other interventions by relevant ministries and constituency projects facilitated by Honourable Members of the Delta State House of Assembly, as well as donations from corporate organizations.”
According to him, a total of 234 new classrooms have been built in 2024 alone, comprising 162 classrooms delivered under the UBE Intervention Fund and 72 completed by the Delta State Government, while another 24 classrooms are still under construction.
He further disclosed that security and welfare facilities were being given priority, with the construction of 22 perimeter walls and gate houses, 164 VIP toilets, five solar-powered boreholes, and renovation of five existing facilities.
Ten staff quarters were also completed for teachers, while over 16,834 units of furniture were supplied to schools.
He however acknowledged that a recent needs assessment revealed a shortfall in furniture across some of the 1,141 public primary schools in the State, attributing part of the challenge to vandalism and misuse by members of host communities.
“About 30 percent of school furniture needs to be replaced yearly due to destruction or loss.
“In some communities, school chairs are taken out for burials and social events and never returned, while in other cases, they are destroyed and sold as scrap by scavengers,” he added.
To address the shortfall, the Board Chairman announced that Governor Oborevwori has approved the immediate release of 1,000 new seats to schools in urgent need, while plans have been concluded for the procurement of over 16,000 dual desks under the 2025 UBE Intervention Projects, expected to commence before the end of the year.
In a related development, he disclosed that the Delta State Government, in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), will on October 9, 2025, flag off the Basic Schools Sports Competition across all 25 Local Government Areas of the State, with the grand finale scheduled for October 22, 2025, at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba.
The Board Chairman reaffirmed SUBEB’s commitment to ensuring that every child in Delta State learns in a conducive and safe environment, stressing that the Oborevwori administration remains unwavering in its determination to deliver quality basic education to all.
