The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has directed the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to seek approval of the State Governor in order to open portal for recruitment of primary school teachers in the state.
This, the House said, was to fill in the vacuum of 3,700 primary school teachers created as a result of retirement, death and other circumstances in the state.
Hon. Danladi Jatau, the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science and Technology, made the call on Monday during an oversight function to SUBEB headquarters in Lafia.
Hon. Jatau said that it has discovered that a total of 3,700 primary school teachers vacancies were created as a result of death, retirement and other circumstances and are left unaddressed in primary schools across the state hence the need for employment of more primary school teachers to fill in the gap.
He said that the committee was in SUBEB to assess the board’s 2023 budget performance.
“We are here to assess your board 2023 budget performance with the view to address any challenge, if discovered.
“As no society will achieve speedy development without sound education, especially primary education which is the foundation of all education,” he stated.
The committee also directed the authorities of Local Governments, especially the State Ministry For Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, to excuse themselves in the payment of primary school teachers salaries and hands off the exercise to allow the Nasarawa State SUBEB take charge for efficient service delivery.
Hon. Jatau equally directed the board to revoke all abandoned contracts by contractors in primary schools across the state, adding that the committee will visit the 137 contracts being executed by the board in the state to see things for themselves.
He added, “Revoke all contracts that the contractors are yet to report to site, they cannot hold the state to ransom.”
The committee chairman assured the board of their readiness to address their challenges, while also commending Governor Abdullahi Sule for his passion in the education sector and called for its sustenance.
Earlier, the Executive chairman of the board, Hon. Muhammad Musa Dan’azimi revealed that from 2011 to date, 3,700 vacancies have been created in primary schools in the state as a result of death, transfer and retirement of teachers.
He said that the death, transfer and retirement of teachers has created a huge vacuum in the primary education system of the state.
The SUBEB Chairman said that primary schools across the state are in urgent need of teachers.
The Chairman alongside his management team, defended their budget performance just as questions and answers on gray areas were attended to.
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