Repositioning Public Schools in Nasarawa

Not satisfied with his approved permanent appointments for the 2,500 teachers engaged casually by his immediate predecessor into the mainstream of Nasarawa State civil service, Governor Abdullahi Sule is repositioning the entire public schools in the state toward meeting the aspirations of the people. Igbawase Ukumba reports

It was on record that ex-Nasarawa governor, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, had engaged about 2,500 teachers in basic education and secondary school levels in the twilight of his administration, engaging teachers with a salary of N25,000 for university graduates and N20,000 for NCE graduates.
Al-Makura, speaking during induction for the newly employed teachers, explained that the decision of his administration to engage the teachers was to fill in the vacancies created in the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Al-Makura continued then that his administration’s decision in that direction was based on his desire to uplift the standard of education and inject new talents, as well as intellectuals, into the state basic and secondary school levels for optimum performance.
Al-Makura then indicated that the employment of the over 2,000 teachers, who were on probation for over one year, was to demonstrate his passion and commitment to standardising the education sector for enhanced teaching, learning processes and high performances across the basic and secondary school levels in the state. He pointed out that that was the first time his administration employed such a large number of teachers in the state.
However, upon assumption of office, Governor Abdullahi Sule approved the appointments of the engaged 2,500 teachers by his immediate predecessor into the mainstream civil service. Sule’s gesture removed the 2,500 previously engaged teachers from the list of casual workers to permanent and pensionable staff.
At the three-day workshop for principals of secondary schools from across the state, the governor again approved the recruitment of additional 550 teachers to fill an existing gap in the educational sector. This window of opportunity for employing new teachers came on the heels of the formalisation of over 2,000 teachers appointed by the immediate past administration of Senator Al-Makura, as well as the current administration’s recruitment of the last 400 teachers.
However, with the injustice perpetrated during the recruitment of the last 400 teachers still fresh in his mind, the governor warned the TSC against abusing the process.​
Sule recalled that the erstwhile chairman of the commission was suspended because of underhand dealings in recruiting the last 400 teachers.
“I am warning the Teachers Service Commission once more that as far as I am concerned, I have not given the names of my brothers, my sisters, my in-laws or relatives. I will not approve any list brought to me that has the names of brothers and sisters and relatives of VIPs. I want competent teachers irrespective of where they come from,” the governor insisted.
Sule equally made known his administration’s commitment to providing a conducive teaching and learning environment, assuring that Nasarawa would not be left out in implementing the ‘Teachers Act’ enactment.
Sule emphasised that education remained the bedrock of economic development of every society, playing a pivotal role in the transformation of all spheres of human endeavour.​
“This is in addition to the significant role played by education in nurturing our children as future leaders. I, therefore, called on the participants at the workshop not to spare any effort to not only imbibe but also demonstrate the lessons they will learn at the three-day training,” Sule stated.
In his introductory remarks, the convener of the workshop, Professor Mohammed Isa Kida, the CEO of GMASS Consulting and Solutions, said the session was one of the human resource reconstruction recommended following the baseline survey of Nasarawa’s education sector. Kida described the roles played by principals as important for educational standards and quality education in a nation.
“Schools need powerful and effective principals willing to foster a high level of student achievement and an effective organisational climate of their schools to make future generations successful. The principal, whose responsibilities are multi-dimensional, need to be motivated, upgraded and dignified so that they influence and properly monitor the behaviour and academic climate of teachers and students effectively,” he said.
Kida commended Sule and disclosed that 250 principals from private and public secondary schools, comprising 200 from public and 50 from private schools, participated in the three-day workshop, with selected cream of professors and seasoned educationists as resource persons.​
In her welcome address, Commissioner of Education, Hajiya Fatu Jimaita Sabo, said the workshop couldn’t have come at a better time than when all efforts are geared towards repositioning the education sector.
The commissioner, who doubles as the event’s host, pointed out that Sule has remained unrelenting in his determination to reposition the education sector toward meeting the people’s aspirations.
She particularly commended the governor for summoning the political will to devote the lion’s share of the state’s annual budget to education, starting with 26 per cent in 2020, 32 per cent in 2021 and 36 per cent in 2022, which she said was unprecedented even by the continental standard.
“Based on the commitment of the state government, as well as the resilience of the staff of my ministry towards repositioning education, the UNICEF education specialists from the Kaduna field office will visit the state soon to provide technical support aimed at changing the narrative in the education sector,” explained Sabo.