By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
The Executive Chairman of the Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Professor Haruna Musa, has ordered the suspension of four Local Government Education Secretaries over their alleged complicity in shielding absentee teachers.
The sweeping disciplinary move is to restore accountability in Jigawa’s basic education system,
The affected officials are from Kirikasamma, Auyo, Miga, and Maigatari Local Government Areas. Alongside their suspension, the salaries of 239 teachers have also been withheld pending further investigation.
Speaking to journalists in Dutse, Professor Musa said the decision followed numerous complaints from concerned parents and guardians about teachers who had abandoned their duty posts for prolonged periods—some for several years—while continuing to receive salaries.
“When we received the complaints, we convened a meeting with the Education Secretaries and asked them to investigate and report their findings. However, the information they presented was inconsistent with what we gathered from the public,” he explained.
As a result, the Board constituted a high-level verification committee — led by Professor Musa himself — to conduct on-the-ground assessments across the affected local governments.
“In Miga LGA, for instance, the Education Secretary reported only one case of absenteeism. But during my personal visit to just a few schools in the area, I found five absentee teachers,” the SUBEB chairman disclosed.
One of the most disturbing discoveries, according to Professor Musa, involved a teacher who had been absent for eight consecutive months, yet was known to be working in the office of a senior political figure in the state.
“This politician is fully aware the man is a teacher, yet keeps him in his office and allows him to continue receiving his salary without reporting to school,” he said.
Professor Musa further revealed that one of the absentee teachers had not reported to school for over nine years, yet had remained on the government payroll.
“This is gross misconduct. Those involved will be made to refund all monies they received without working. Public funds cannot be wasted on ghost workers,” he stated firmly.
He emphasized that the disciplinary actions were not politically motivated, denying allegations of witch-hunting.
“Our mission is simple — to sanitize the system, ensure accountability, and deliver quality education to the children of Jigawa. His Excellency, Governor Malam Umar Namadi, has entrusted us with this responsibility, and we will not fail him or the people,” he added.
The Jigawa SUBEB chairman reiterated that the state government remains committed to reducing the number of out-of-school children and enhancing the quality of education in all public schools.