Yobe State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Mohammed Sani Idris has explained why the state suspended five secondary school headteachers.
The Commissioner, in a telephone, chat with The Nation disclosed that the headteachers were suspended on seven grounds bothering on “gross negligence and dereliction of duty” which is punishable under the civil service laws.
The ministry had, on September 9 from its official Facebook page announced the suspension of five boarding secondary school headteachers.
The statement which did not provide details of the suspension reads:
“Headteachers of five boarding senior secondary schools in Yobe State have been suspended today, September 9, 2021 for various gross offences.
“The suspension letters were issued by the Executive Chairman Teaching Service Board at the instance of the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Mohammed Sani Idriss, who paid a surprise visit to the Schools on Monday, September 6, 2021.
“Senior Vice-Head teachers of the five schools have been directed to take charge of running the affairs of the schools with immediate effect. While the Teaching Service Board and the mother Ministry have deployed competent member staff to assist in the smooth running of the schools, and especially to ensure successful completion of the ongoing West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations.
“The affected headteachers would know their fate after facing a disciplinary committee to be constituted soon,” the statement said.
When contacted, the Commissioner gave details as to why the headteacher should be punished.
According to him, the five headteachers flouted the orders of the ministry to keep the students in the schools during the WAEC period with strict supervision and lack of discipline.
Dr. Idris said his surprise visit to the schools was not to witch-hunt any of the head teachers but to ginger up the students to study hard and change the narrative of mass failure of WAEC in the state.
He also added that he was disappointed with the number of students he saw on the school compound with the number that left, including the headteachers who were not present as at the time he visited despite directives that students should stay for serious revision for their WAEC examination.
The Nation
