Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule has approved the recruitment of additional 550 teachers to fill existing gap in the educational sector of the state.
Engineer Sule made this known while declaring open a three-day workshop for principals of secondary schools from across the state, taking place at the Government Science Secondary School, Lafia, on Tuesday.
This window of opportunity for employment of new teachers is coming in the heels of the formalisation of over 2000 teachers appointed by the immediate past administration of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura, as well as the recruitment of 400 teachers by the present administration.
The Governor however warned the Nasarawa State Teachers’ Service Commission against abusing the process through nepotism but to ensure that only candidates with capacity and competence are recruited as teachers.
He recalled that the erstwhile chairman of the commission was suspended because of underhand dealings in the process of 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 name of my brother, my sister, my in-laws or relative.
“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,” he stated.
Engineer Sule equally made known the commitment of his administration to provide conducive teaching and learning environment, assuring that Nasarawa State will not be left out in implementing the teachers act undergoing process of enactment.
In this regards, he directed the Head of Service and other relevant agencies to monitor the process of the promulgation of the new national teachers act, with a view to advising government for prompt domestication and implementation.
The Governor commended the state’s ministry of education for considering the idea of the workshop aimed at improving efficiency and building the capacity of principals in secondary schools for enhanced productivity.
He said the theme of the workshop, is in line with the desire of his administration to reposition the educational system in the state, adding that the topics earmarked for the workshop will enrich the principals by strengthening their performances in the management of education in the post primary level in the state.
The theme of this workshop is “Consolidating the Gains of Repositioning the Educational Sector in Nasarawa State Through Effective Schools Management and Administration: A Concern for Principals”.
Engineer Sule emphasized that education remains the bedrock of economic development of every society, playing 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,” he stated.
He 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 3-day training..
In his introductory remarks, convener of the workshop, Professor Mohammed Isa Kida, CEO GMASS Consulting and Solutions, said the session is one of the human resource reconstruction recommended following the baseline survey of the educational sector of the state.
Professor Kida described the roles played by principals as important variables 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 organizational climate of their schools to make future generations successful,” he said.
According to the former university teacher, the principal whose responsibilities are multi-dimensionnal, 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 commended Engineer Sule whose first three years in office has demonstrated passion for repositioning the state for a brighter and better Nasarawa State.
Prof Kida disclosed that 250 principals from both private and public secondary schools, comprising 200 from public and 50 from private schools, will participate in the three-day workshop, with selected cream of professors and seasoned educationists as resource persons.
In her welcome address, state 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 at the host of the event, pointed out that since his assumption of office, Engineer Sule has remained unrelenting in his determination to reposition the education sector towards meeting the aspirations of the people.
Hajiya Fatu Sabo particularly commended the Governor for summoning the political will to devote lion share of the state’s annual budget to education, starting with 26 percent in 2020, 32 percent in 2021 and 36 percent in 2022, which she said is unprecedented even by continental standard.
She used the opportunity of the event to highlight on the inroads recorded by the ministry towards improving the quality of education in the state.
Highlight of the opening ceremony was the presentation to the Governor by the commissioner an award won by the state recently at the just concluded first conference of national educational management information system that held in Gombe. Nasarawa State was adjudged the best state in timely submission of quality data.
The commissioner equally disclosed that, based on the commitment of the state government, as well as the resilience of the staff of her ministry, towards repositioning education, the UNICEF education specialist from the Kaduna field office, will visit the state in July to provide technical support aimed at changing the narrative in the education sector.
Various speakers delivered goodwill messages during the event to include President, All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, State Parent Teachers Association, National Association of Proprietors of Secondary Schools, Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria, Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, as well as the Head of Civil Service, Mr. Abari Nicholas Aboki.
