- Gov condemns protest, insists on aptitude test
- From: Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
The chairman, Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Professor Haruna Musa, Friday, escaped lynching from aggrieved teachers popularly known as J-Teach staff at the Federal University Dutse (FUD), venue of a planned aptitude test.
The teachers also blocked the entrance of the Government House, preventing Governor Umar Namadi from going out to attend the national conference holding at the nearby Manpower Development Institute.
The teachers attacked the chairman in protest against what they alleged was an attempt to replace some of them with politicians and sons and daughters of privileged people after long years of suffering and sacrifice.
Speaking to The Nation at the Federal University Dutse premises, the secretary of the J-Teach Association, Comrade Abbas Muazu Aujara said: “We are the teachers who were recruited under the J-Teach programme initiated by the former governor of the state, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar in the last two years.”
Aujara explained that Governor Namadi, having recognised their efforts and sacrifice, offered them permanent and pensionable appointment.
He added that “the Ministry of Basic Education, through the State Basic Education Board, also re-screened and re-documented all of us. What remains is to receive our permanent and pensionable offers and capture into the state Intergraded Payroll for Public Information System Management (IPPISM).
“To our greatest disappointment, we were told that we were to hold another aptitude test and screening, despite that just yesterday (Friday) we had completed a round of screening”.
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“It appears now some people want sabotage the governor’s effort in revitalizing the state education with provision of adequate and qualified teachers for selfish interest. That is why we blocked this test from taking place.
“We are calling on the state governor, Malam Umar Namadi, to investigate and take appropriate action before his 12-point agenda drifts into the ocean.”
Meanwhile, the governor has condemned the protest, stating their action may discourage the government on its good plans on youth and education.
Gov. Namadi said he is aware of the examination’s aim at justice and fairness to candidates in the selection processes.
“To ensure justice for all, instead of making random selection, we organised this aptitude test for selecting the 3,000 out of the 4,500, and those who did not scale through now will continue to work as J-Teach before next round of recruitment”.
He assured the teachers that the state government will not disenfranchised any one of them from getting employment but insisted on the aptitude test.