NASARAWA: PURPORTED EMPLOYMENT OF 366 TEACHERS, LAWMAKERS INVOKE OVERSIGHT FUNCTION’S POWERS

By: Willy Punvwet

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has directed its House Committee on Education, Science, and Technology, to investigate the purported employment of 366 Secondary School Teachers by the office of the state Accountant General.

The directive was given by the Speaker of the House, Alh. Balarabe Abdullahi,  in responds to  Matters of Public Interest raised by the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science, and Technology, Hon Daniel Ogazi, during the House proceedings in Lafi.

The Speaker explained that, “a thorough investigation into the alleged employment of Teachers would assist the House to know the true position of the matter”.

He advised the Committee to invite all those involved for questioning and report back to the House within three weeks.

The Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Hon Daniel Ogazi, had while raising the matter disclosed that, “the purported employment was alleged to have emanated from the office of the state Accountant General’.

He explained that, for any employment of Teachers to take place, advertisement of vacancies where applicants would apply and get screened for the job required has to be done through the State Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and not the office of the Accountant General. Adding that, “there has been no such advertisement, only for them to learn of the employment of a total of 366 Teachers”.

Hon. Ogazi, said, his Committee has documents on the purported employment to substantiate its claims.

The Committee Chairman further said that, “there was no provision in the 2021 budget for the employment of 366 Secondary School Teachers and wondered why such an employment was done without due process.

Also at yesterday’s sitting the House also deliberated on the report of the Joint Committee on Housing and Environment/ Health on a Bill for a Law to Establish the State’s Waste Management and Sanitation Authority.

The motion for the adoption of the report was moved by the Deputy Majority Leader Hon. Daniel Ogazi and seconded by the Deputy Minority Leader of the House Hon Luka Iliya Zhekaba,

The Speaker then fixed August 10th for the third reading of the Bill.

The Bill for a Law to Establish the Nasarawa State Urban and Regional Planning Board and for Other Purposes Connected passed its second reading yesterday, the motion was also passed by Hon Daniel Ogazi, and was seconded by Hon Luka Iliya Zhekaba.

The Bill is committed to the House Committee on Urban Development by the Speaker, Hon. Balarabe Abdullahi, to work on it and report back to the House on Wednesday, August 4th 2021.