Gyang Bere, Jos

Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, has pardorned over 2,000 primary school teachers who were dismissed for alleged lack of minimum teaching qualification by former Governor Jonah Jang’s administration.

The governor, however, retired about 747 others who were among those sacked, but promised to give them their financial benefits, having had consultations with the Christian Association of Nigeria and the JNI, in the state.

Saturday Sun recalled that the Jang administration had terminated appointment of about 4,000 teachers in 2013 on the grounds of lack of minimum teaching qualification of NCE after the opportunity given them to update their certificates lapsed.

Executive Chairman, Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (PSUBEB), Prof. Mathew Nshim Sule disclosed this, on Friday,  in Jos,  during a pressing briefing.

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“For the avoidance of doubt and setting the records starlight, Governor Simon Lalong granted pardon to over 2000 teachers and religious instructors who were dismissed or have their appointments terminated by the government before the present one in 2013.

“The board started the implementation of government directive and after the screening exercise, it was found out that 747do not have the requisite certificates of NCE to teach in public schools as prescribed by the Federal Government and they have been retired to full financial benefits and not sack as it was reported.

He explained that the Board reabsorbed 401 teachers into the scheme after a rigorous verification where they were found to have met the minimum qualification while 104 others will under go another series of verification exercise to authenticate the genuineness of their certificates.

Prof. Sule frown at reports published by an Online Medium that Plateau State Government sacked 747 primary school teachers, saying the publication was not only incorrect but a calculated attempt to pitch Plateau people against government.

He said Governor Lalong is determined to provide a solid educational foundation to school pupils in the state to enable them compete favourably with their counterparts in other states with the provision of adequate infrastructure and reliable instructional materials.