Over 1,500 Ghost Teachers Uncovered in Primary School In Niger

A committee set up by the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB) to audit its staff has uncovered over 1,500 ghost teachers in primary schools in the employ of the Board.

The committee also returned a report that 1,000 teachers did not have the qualification to teach in any primary school in the state.

The Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Usman Katako, made the findings known when he submitted the panel’s report to the Chairman of the Board, Alhaji Isah Adamu, in his office on Monday.

Katako did not give details of the ghost workers but explained that 28,058 personnel were on the payroll of the board but that only 26,070 showed up for screening.

He said that of those that appeared for screening, 1,000 were not qualified to teach and “cannot read and write”.

“The verification covered all the LEA administrative staff and classroom teachers. We are more particular with teachers and administrative staff because administrative staff supervise those in the classroom. And about 50% of those with issues of certificate racketeering are class teachers. We found that over 1,000 of them couldn’t read and write,” the committee chairman revealed.

The committee however advised the Board to ensure the implementation of the approved promotion for some teachers who have been on the waiting list since 2018.

Adamu, receiving the report, said he would ensure the full implementation of the report to put the teaching profession on a proper footing.

Adamu sad: “If you cannot read and write, you cannot be a teacher, so everybody must work according to his capacity.

“We can reshuffle the system. If you cannot teach, we are going to send you to either be a cleaner or a nanny but definitely not as a classroom teacher.”

Source: THISDAYLIVE.COM