By Stella Edoka
The Kogi State House of Assembly has urged the State Government to immediately recruit and deploy qualified teachers to primary schools across the state to address the growing shortage of instructional staff.
The call followed a motion raised during plenary by the Member representing Ijumu Constituency, Omotayo Adeleye Ishaya, in Lokoja.
Adeleye emphasized that education was the foundation of development and must remain a top priority.
While commending Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for ongoing reforms in the sector, she expressed concern that many primary schools were grappling with acute teacher shortages.
She noted that several schools were currently relying on a handful of overstretched teachers, as well as volunteers and NYSC members, to remain functional.
According to her, deploying more teachers would strengthen literacy, skills and improve overall learning outcomes for pupils.
Adeleye also called on the government to identify teachers transferred from SUBEB and the State Secondary School Board (SSSB) to other ministries and agencies and redeploy them to classrooms where their services are urgently needed.
She further appealed for improved welfare for teachers, better-equipped classrooms, modern learning materials, and adequate recreational facilities to create a conducive learning environment.
Following additional prayers on the need for mass recruitment of primary school teachers, the House resolved that the payment of primary school teachers salaries should be returned to local governments for better monitoring, supervision, and discipline through Education Secretaries.
The house also summoned the Commissioner for Education, the Chairman of SUBEB, and the Chairman of the State secondary school board, SSSB, to appear before it to explain the delay in implementing the government’s directive on absorbing and recruiting more teachers.
Edited by Ajifa Ainoko
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