Gov. Zulum Directs Primary School Teachers Verification Committee To Screen Out Unqualified Teachers ...pledges To Improve Teachers Welfare, Condition Of Service

By Sadiq Abubakar, The Nigerian Voice, Maiduguri

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State yesterday visited the headquarters of Borno State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB) venue of the ongoing teachers verification exercise.

Gov. Zulum said during the visit that Borno State Government will not accept the services of unqualified teachers in primary schools across the state.

Addressing members of the Verification Committee, the governor said ,“this morning we have inspected primary schools within the metropolis, I constituted a committee few months ago, and have exermined the structures."

"Insha Allah, we will provide all the necessary infrastructures at our primary schools, but the most important thing is the teachers. If you cannot have qualified teachers in the primary schools, I think all the facelift and the rehabilitation are exercise in futility.

“We will give greater priority to the kind of teachers in our primary schools, if the foundation is weak there is no way the Secondary and tertiary education in the state will be sound. The quality of pupils in the primary schools determine our output in secondary schools,” Zulum said.

According to him,"The major reason our students in secondary schools cannot obtain credits, is because they don't have the requisite training at the primary school levels."

"This administration will give all the necessary support to you to be able to discharge your duties. We will exermine your report at the end of the exercise, those that we felt they should be allowed to go on training, we can train them.” Zulum said.

The governor also addressed some of teachers undergoing screening from Damboa Local Government Council who have turned out for the verification while assuring them of their welfare and improved conducive teaching and learning environment.

“We shall insha Allah provide accommodation for teachers, loans and improve the welfare of our teachers. But how can we do that ? We have to get the system right, our teachers should be qualified and genuine.” Zulum said.