Nasarawa Assembly clears 1000 teachers from screening, confirms their employment
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has directed the State Government to exclude the 1,000 newly employed teachers who are already receiving their salaries from the ongoing teachers screening exercise.
This decision follows revelations of irregularities in the recent recruitment exercise, where the Nasarawa State Teachers Service Commission (NSTSC) illegally recruited 3,277 teachers instead of the 1,000 approved by the government.
The assembly ordered the return of appointment letters to the genuinely employed 1,000 teachers and excluded them from the screening process to avoid redundancy.
Governor Abdullahi Sule had earlier suspended the NSTSC officials over this recruitment scandal, which involved a cash-for-appointment scheme and recruitment beyond the state’s financial capacity.
The governor emphasized that the extra recruits were not hired on merit, which threatens the quality of education in the state
Rt. Hon. Muhammad Adamu Oyanki, the Deputy Speaker of the House made the call while reading the House resolution after Hon. Daniel Ogazi brought the matter under matters of urgent public importance during the House proceedings in Lafia today Wednesday.
Oyanki said that the 1000 teachers, who are receiving their salaries were employed in line with civil service rules and should be excluded from the ongoing screening exercise in the State in the interest of peace, unity and justice.
He also directed the consultant conducting the screening exercise to return the retrieved appointment letters to the 1000 teachers on government pay roll with immediate effect.
According to him, this is sad and unfortunate, these 1000 teachers have been duely employed and are recieving their salaries for 9 months now.
” The resolution of the House is to the effect that , We appreciate His Excellency, Gov. Abdullahi Sule for employing the teachers to add value to the development of the education sector and reduce unemployment in the State.
” We are directing that the 1000 teachers duely employed and are receiving their salaries be excluded from the ongoing teachers screening in the state, they are innocent and can not be part of the screening.
” We are also directing the consultant to return the retrieved appointment letters to the 1000 teachers with immediate effect and they should continue with their teaching, their salaries should be paid, no body has complain about them, they are doing well in their places of assignment” he said.
“We support totally the action taken by the State Government for sacking the TSC officials because what they did was very wrong, people has been shortchanged, people has been rubbed, it is very sad and unfortunate and as representatives of the people we can’t take that, we must be fear to our people and the State”
“No body should take the blame of another person,the 1000 teachers, every body know they are innocent because they followed all the necessary procedures so they should not be victimized, all we are doing is protecting government and the law” He added.
The Deputy Speaker further constituted a Six Man Adhoc Committee to be chaired by Hon. Daniel Ogazi alongside House Committee Chairman on Education Rt. Hon. Abel Yakubu Bala with Hon. Luka Iliya Zhekaba as Secretary and Barr. Esson Mairiga, Hon. Solomon AKwashiki and Hon. Muhammed Garba Isimbabi as members to bring all culprits that sold appointment letters to the indigenes of the State to book.
The Committee is also to investigate the alleged selling of appointment letters to over 2000 teachers and ensure that the plights of the victims are adequately addressed.
“This Adhoc Committee is to be chaired by Hon Daniel Ogazi with Hon. Luka Iliya Zhekaba, the Minority Leader as Secretary of the committee.
” Other members are Hon. Solomon Yakubu Akwashiki, Hon. Mohammed Garba Isimbabi and Hon. Barr. Esson Mairiga” he said.
The Deputy Speaker appealed to Gov. Abdullahi Sule to temper justice with mercy on the appointments of the remaining over 2000 teachers, who are yet to be paid.
Earlier, Hon. Daniel Ogazi, member representing Kokona East Constituency while raising the matter, has called on his colleagues to support his motion to enable the State Government exclude the 1000 teachers who are duely employed from the ongoing screening in the State.
” The process for the recruitment of the 1000 teachers in the State was transparent and fair.
“The 1000 teachers were employed in line with Civil Service rules and the government has satisfied their appointments and they have been receiving their salaries for 9 months now,” he said.
Hon. Ogazi who spoke extensively on the matter lamented that over 6000 applicants applied and were subjected to examination and 1000 were employed but now are being frustrated.
” You recalled that August last year, Gov. Sule approved the 1000 and were served with appointment letters, posted to schools and they are performing their functions and receiving salaries, we never hear any complaint about their performance, but problem came in the process of recruitment of the additional 500 approved by the Governor as TSC exceeded and issued more than 2000 instead of 500, so this first 1000 should not be allow to be part of the sins of the later exercise” He added.
In their contributions, Hon. Luka Iliya Zhekaba, Hon. Barr. Esson Mairiga, Hon. Jacob Kudu, Hon. Mohammed Garba Isimbabi, Hon Chunbaya Yusuf Aliyu, Hon. Dr. Ibrahim Peter Akwe, Hon. Solomon Yakubu Akwashiki and Hon. John Ovey appreciated Hon. Ogazi for bringing the matter and called for exclusion of the 1000 teachers from the ongoing screening.
They said that the 1000 teachers followed all civil service rules before their engagements.
They expressed dissatisfaction with the collection of their appointment letters by the consulting firm and called for immediate return of their appointment letters to them.
They also called for the apprehension of all culprits involved in the selling of additional appointment letters to the remaining over 2000 teachers in the State just as the called the attention of the House to also addressed the plights of the over 2000 victims of the scandal.
It would be recalled that Gov. Abdullahi Sule has brought a consulting firm to conduct screening of over 3000 newly employed teachers in the State saying that the process of their appointments was not legally done.
