By Philip Yatai
The National Parents-Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) and the Kaduna Basic Education Accountability Mechanism (KADBEAM) have commended the Kaduna State Government for reinstating 1,288 primary school teachers disengaged in June 2022.
The groups told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Thursday that the move shows a ”human face in governance” as shown by the Gov. Nasir El-Rifai-led administration.
NAN reports that the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (Kaduna SUBEB) had on Wednesday announced the reinstatement of 1,266 teachers sacked after a competency test in June 2022.
Hajiya Hauwa Mohammed who made the announcement, further explained that 22 other teachers removed from the payroll for unsubstantiated reasons were equally reinstated, amounting 1,288 reinstated teachers.
Reacting to the development, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, National President, NAPTAN, said that the reinstatement of the teachers was the right step considering that they were sacked in error.
Danjuma said that the action has rekindled hope among citizens that the government has a listening ear to addressing anomalies and concerns of citizens who felt dissatisfied by government actions or inaction.
“I am particularly impressed that the affected teachers lodged a complaint about the circumstances surrounding their disengagement and the government investigated the complaints and addressed them.
“This is commendable and will improve citizens’ confidence in governance that their voices will be heard whenever they cry out,” he said.
The national president also urged the state government to consider the plight of the 21,780 primary school teachers sacked in 2017 over a similar competency test.
He said that most of the affected teachers were left hanging, with their entitlement unpaid, adding that most disengaged teachers were in rural schools, thereby creating a huge gap that was yet to be filled.
“We want the government to have a second look at their case and see what it can do to either reengaged deserving ones or pay their entitlement to enable them live a quality life,” he said.
Similarly, Malam Tijjani Aliyu, Citizens Co-chair, KADBEAM, who equally commended the government for the laudable step, which he described as “heart touching.”
Aliyu further stressed the need for the affected teachers to be paid the about 10 months unpaid salaries following their erroneous disengagement.
“We are appealing to the state government, Kaduna SUBEB, and the affected local government areas to take a step further to pay the affected teachers the backlog of the 10 months unpaid salaries.
On his part, Mr Martins Dangwa, Chairman, Evidence Technical Working Group, KADBEAM, said it was good to see governance having a human face again in Kaduna state.
Dangwa, however, appealed to the government to confirm the appointment of 25,000 qualified teachers who replaced the 21,780 alleged unqualified teachers sacked in 2017. (NAN
