By ENITAN ABEL JOHNGOLD ORHERUATA, mnipr
The Executive Chairman of Delta State Universal Basic Education Board (D-SUBEB), Hon. Samuel Oghenevwogaga Mariere, today came out swinging against what he called “false, malicious and baseless” allegations of bribery rocking the Board.
Speaking at a press briefing in Asaba, Mariere dismissed claims that contractors were being forced to part with ₦100,000–₦300,000 in kickbacks as “cheap blackmail” aimed at distracting him from delivering results.
“At no time did I or any SUBEB official request or collect money from any contractor. Our books are open. Our records are clean. And the contractors themselves have confirmed it,” he said firmly.
To bury the rumours, Mariere said an emergency meeting was called with contractors on Tuesday. In front of everyone, several contractors reportedly declared they had never paid any “percentage” or under-the-table money for projects, certification, or payments.
“That testimony is on record. The truth has spoken louder than lies,” he told journalists.
Mariere then shifted gears, reeling out what he called SUBEB’s “undeniable scorecard” for the quarter.
Projects: 90% of approved projects already completed, with contractors duly paid through official channels.
Enrolment: 821,827 children now in Delta’s public basic schools.
Teacher Training: Over 5,500 teachers retrained in modern classroom methods.
Infrastructure: 162 brand new classrooms, 491 renovated, 164 toilets, 22 school fences, 5 solar-powered boreholes, plus new staff quarters and hostel facilities.
Learning Tools: 167,707 textbooks, nearly 2,000 tablets, 28 laptops, 64 smart boards, and 10,000 teaching aids rolled out.
Equity Push: More than 2,000 out-of-school children brought back to classrooms.
“This is what we have been doing while others spread lies. These are results you can see in every community,” he fired.
Mariere said D-SUBEB operates a zero-tolerance policy for corruption, insisting that all procurement goes through competitive bidding and internal audits.
“Our files, inspection logs, and payment records are open for UBEC, the State Government, the media, and even civil society. Sunlight is our policy. Anyone can check,” he declared.
The SUBEB boss promised even more: completing the Orogun SMART School project, deepening e-procurement, and expanding support for riverine schools.
“We will not be distracted. Our focus is on classrooms, teachers, textbooks, safety, and results for Delta’s children. That is the only truth that matters,” Mariere said to thunderous applause.
