- Disburses N1 billion to facilitate training
By Inusa Ndahi, Maiduguri
GOVERNOR Babagana Zulum of Borno state has vowed that there is no going back in redeploying incompetent teachers to their proper place in order to change the narratives associated with decay in the education sector.
This is as the government approved the sum of N1 billion for the training of unqualified teachers drawn from across the 27 local government Education Authority in the state.
This was disclosed by Governor Zulum while flagging off the 1st phase training of 1,949 teachers, mostly those who failed to meet up with the 2019 Verification and the 2022 competency tests organized by a committee that were constituted by the present administration.
The occasion took place on Monday at College of Education, Waka in Biu loca government area.
Recalled last week, the social media space were awashed with criticisms that the present administration of governor Zulum who is a Professor pays as little as N7,000 monthly salary to primary school teachers as minimum wage, while others receive only N4,000 as pensions.
But making a clarification at the event, Zulum said: ” We will not continue with the mess, there is no going back in redeploying incompetent teachers to their proper place in order to change the narratives associated with decay in the education sector.”
He hinted on the Needs Assessment carried out in 2021, which prompted the competency test for teachers across the different Local Government Education Authorities that took place from 5th to 20th January 2022.
He noted that “the outcome of the test revealed that Five thousand Two Hundred and Fifty-Seven (5,257) individuals passed, Six Thousand Two Hundred and Twenty-seven (6,227) were considered trainable, and Four Thousand Three Hundred and Thirty-Nine (4,339) were found to be untrainable.
“Expanding on this initiative, during the inauguration of the Local Government Education Secretaries on March 19th,
2024, the Government approved the allocation of One Billion Naira (N1 billion) for the training of Two Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty (2,730) teachers.
“These teachers will undergo training at both the College of Education Waka-Biu and Umar Ibn Ibrahim Elkanemi College of Education, Science, and Technology Bama for Three Months Sandwich program for One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty-Four (1,884) teachers and a full time NCE program for Eight Hundred and Forty-Six (846) teachers.
“This endeavor underscores our unwavering commitment to enhancing the quality of education, aligning seamlessly with our broader infrastructural development objectives.
“The primary objective of this training initiative is to tackle longstanding issues surrounding remuneration, retention,
and most importantly, the competency of teachers in accordance with national standards.
“Participants will receive this training free of charge, along with a monthly
stipend of Thirty Thousand Naira (N30,000) in addition to their regular salaries, coupled with passing the competency test at its conclusion,
will lead to wage review.
“Furthermore, the Ministry of Education is directed to release an additional sum of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) to all
participants to ensure adequate preparation for the program.” Said Zulum.
In his remarks, Commissioner for Education, Engr. Lawan Wakilbe said, the problems facing basic education in the state have escalated since the discontinuation of the direct absorption of Primary School teachers from their Teachers’ Colleges. With no structured employment approach in place, the indiscriminate replacement of teachers has resulted in several challenges, including salary scale discrepancies and the hiring of underqualified persons, among others.
The consequences of these practices according to the Commissioner were highlighted through the verification exercise conducted in 2019 and the subsequent Competency Test conducted in 2022, results of which are in the public domain. Contrary to circulating information in social media, a total of Seven Hundred and Ninety-Six (796) teachers have been consistently receiving their salaries. However, some of these teachers have chosen to claim non-payment and have abstained from their duty posts.
“We have distributed the list of these teachers to all Principals and the Nigerian Union of Teachers Borno State Chapter. It is imperative to remind these teachers that their appointments are on probation, and failure to take their work seriously may lead to termination.
“Currently, only One Hundred and Twenty-One (121) teachers are experiencing various issues that hinder their salary payments. These issues include multiple workplaces, discrepancies in age documentation, incomplete assumption of duties, and certificate-related matters.
“Your Excellency, Your Royal Highness, Distinguished ladies, and gentlemen, may I now present our requests to Your Excellency: To grant authorization for the Ministry of Education to transfer untrained personnel currently listed in the records of the Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) to be reassigned for duties other than teaching.
“Following the aforementioned reassignment, to authorize a comprehensive assessment of manpower needs within the LGEAs and subsequently facilitate the employment of qualified individuals to fulfill those needs.
“To initiate a Phase II of the teacher training program, encompassing those with Diplomas and individuals who were unable to enroll in the initial training phase. Additionally, to arrange for another training program through the Institute of Education at Borno State University (BOSU) for those requiring further education and development on our list of trainable personnel.” Wakilbe stated.
Earlier in his welcome address the Provost College of Education, Waka-Biu, Dr.Gambo Saljaba commended governor Zulum for choosing the institution as venue to flag off the 1st phase of the training, and assured that participants would receive adequate educational training to be more effective in their chosen carrier as teachers.
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