The Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board has withheld the salaries of 239 teachers found absent from their places of duty across the state.
This was hinted at by the SUBEB Chairman, Prof Haruna Musa, while interacting with journalists on Saturday, shortly after concluding a five-day training for 250 Arabic teachers, organised by the board.
The chairman said the absent teachers had been away from duty for periods ranging from two months to three years, yet continued to collect salaries.
He noted that “some teachers were found to have abandoned their teaching duties for years without attending classes.
One notable case mentioned by Prof Musa was that of a primary school teacher who was recently turbaned as a village head.
He said “The teacher had abandoned his teaching duties for three years while still collecting his salary and receiving additional payment as village head.
“The board’s crackdown on absenteeism is part of its efforts to improve the quality of education in Jigawa State.”
The SUBEB boss announced that the board had taken action against the erring teacher, requiring him to refund the salaries collected during his absence.
“The teacher has the option to continue working while paying back the salaries collected,” he added.
The chairman sought collaboration to expose any teacher found absent from duty, to ensure transparency and accountability.
Speaking on the training, the SUBEB chairman said selected teachers from the 27 local government areas in the state were brought together to equip them with skills in computer literacy and lesson planning.