The newly appointed Chairman of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), Dr. Kassim Muhammad Kassim, has raised alarm over the widespread diversion of school furniture meant for public primary schools across the state.
Dr. Kassim revealed that some education secretaries and headteachers have been illegally diverting government-supplied furniture for personal gain, selling them to private schools and even individuals. He expressed deep concern that while public school pupils are left to sit on bare floors, officials entrusted with managing education are misappropriating vital learning resources.
“It is unacceptable for our children to sit on classroom floors while headteachers and education secretaries divert government furniture to private schools and homes,” Dr. Kassim stated. “I have personally visited schools where records show furniture deliveries, but found none in use. This will not be tolerated under my watch.”
To address the issue, Dr. Kassim said he is working with the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) to inspect private schools and residences suspected of harboring NSUBEB-branded furniture. Any individual found in possession of such items will be investigated and required to disclose their source.
During a meeting with education secretaries from the state’s 13 local government areas and 18 development areas, Dr. Kassim disclosed that NSUBEB furniture had already been discovered in private residences. He has since ordered the arrest and detention of those found with such property pending further investigation.
In a major administrative shake-up, the chairman also announced the immediate redeployment of 1,300 out of the 3,422 administrative staff. All staff with teaching qualifications are to be returned to classrooms, especially in rural areas grappling with acute teacher shortages.
“We cannot justify having qualified teachers sitting in offices while rural schools remain without instructors,” he said. “We don’t need an army of supervisors when there are no teachers to supervise.”
Dr. Kassim emphasized his administration’s zero tolerance for inefficiency and mismanagement, and vowed to restore integrity to the state’s basic education system.
On recruitment, he disclosed that he has received approval from the state governor to hire 4,800 qualified teachers under a program titled Recruitment of Teachers in Rural Areas. He made it clear that all new recruits would be deployed strictly to rural communities in a bid to revitalize education in underserved areas, including riverine communities.
“It will no longer be business as usual,” he warned. “Our focus is rural education. No newly recruited teacher will be posted to urban centers.”
Dr. Kassim also instructed education secretaries to stop all unauthorized salary deductions from teachers, stressing that such practices are illegal unless backed by a disciplinary procedure approved by the board. “Teachers earn little enough already,” he noted. “Any education secretary who violates this directive will be held accountable.”
In another directive, the NSUBEB chairman warned against allocating school land for small business ventures without prior approval from the board. He said a new maintenance unit will be set up in every local government to safeguard school infrastructure and properties.
He also vowed to review and revoke poorly executed contracts, stating that contractors will not be paid unless their work meets NSUBEB’s standards. “We cannot keep renovating the same structures year after year. If the work is substandard, we will withhold payment or cancel the contract,” he said.
Dr. Kassim concluded by reaffirming his commitment to overhauling the state’s basic education sector. “I was appointed to change the narrative,” he said. “And I will do just that, even if it means stepping on toes.”
