By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
In a bold move to restore order and accountability in the state’s education sector, the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has redeployed over 2,200 teachers found to have been illegally recruited, while also recovering furniture misappropriated by school officials.
The chairman of the board, Muhammad Musa, announced the development following revelations from an investigative committee that exposed large-scale recruitment fraud and unethical practices in the state’s school system. According to the findings, the Teachers Service Commission had engaged a staggering 3,277 teachers—well above the 1,000 approved by the state government.
“These illegal recruitments were marred by extortion and lack of merit,” Musa said. “This is unacceptable in a system that is supposed to set examples for integrity and fairness.”
The redeployment exercise affects all 13 local government areas of the state and is aimed at ensuring a more equitable distribution of teaching personnel, particularly to rural and underserved communities where shortages have hampered learning.
The probe also revealed that some school heads had diverted school furniture such as desks and chairs for private use. SUBEB has since begun retrieving and returning these items to public schools across the state.
“We are determined to reposition the basic education sector. Our children must not be the victims of corruption and negligence,” Musa stated. “This is in line with Governor Abdullahi Sule’s directive to sanitise the system and improve education delivery.”
Governor Sule had earlier in February suspended several top officials of the Teachers Service Commission for their roles in the recruitment irregularities. The governor’s action and subsequent reforms reflect the administration’s growing emphasis on transparency, efficiency, and prioritising the welfare of schoolchildren.
For many residents, the development is a welcomed step. “We have been complaining about the lack of teachers in our schools. Now we know why,” said Aisha Abubakar, a parent in Lafia. “It’s good they’re fixing it, and I hope this marks a turning point.”
Nasarawa has historically lagged behind in national education rankings, but with the ongoing reforms, there’s renewed hope that the tide may be turning one recovered desk, and one properly posted teacher at a time.