EXCLUSIVE: 5,000 Kano teachers graduate since 2017 without cert. over state govt. indebtedness

About 5,000 Kano State teachers who graduated from federal colleges of education in the state since 2017 are groaning in pain as they are yet to be issued their certificates due to the failure of the state government to pay their scholarship fees to the institutions.

Solacebase gathered that the teachers’ scheme called ‘’mergers’’ locally are mostly Grade 2 teachers sent to acquire National Certificate of Education (NCE), required minimum teaching certificate by the state government in 2013 and 2014 to improve quality of education in the state.

It was gathered that most of them graduated from the Federal College of Education Kano, Federal College of Education, Technical Bichi, Saadatu Rimi College of Education, Kano and Aminu Kano College of Legal Studies.

However, since 2017 when they graduated from the schools most of them are yet to be given their certificates because their sponsor, Kano State Government has defaulted in payment of their school fees.

Some of the teachers who speak with Solacebase expressed disappointment in the state government attitude of non-payment of their school fees since they were on scholarship.

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‘’It is pathetic that most of us graduated since 2017 but we could not collect our certificates because of the failure of the state government to pay our fees, ‘’said the sad teachers who want to remain anonymous.

‘’You see the essence of the program was to improve our skills so that we can impact positively on the students’’

‘’Some of us have even retired from service without the certificate despite graduating, hence they left the service with Grade II certificates’’

The teachers told Solacebase that those among them that attended the state-owned institutions have collected their certificates except those that attended the federal government institutions.

Confirming the development to Solacebase, Kano State Commissioner for Education, Malam Muhammad Sanusi Kiru said the ministry Permanent Secretary has been directed to write the concerned colleges of education to know the exact number of students so that, it can be forwarded to the state executive council for approval.

Malam Kiru said just last month, the state government paid over N100m to the two state-owned institutions for the release of the certificates of the affected teachers.

‘’ You can recall that during the world education day celebrated at the government house last month, we presented certificates to some of them who graduated from the state-owned education colleges as we just paid over N100m as their outstanding fees, ‘Kiru said.

Kiru said no fewer than 2, 662 teachers in the scheme have received their certificates.

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‘’Immediately we receive the report from the colleges on the outstanding, it will be forwarded to the State Executive Council for approval so that the payment can be effected.

Also, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Teachers, Comrade Muhammad Abubakar Hambali confirmed to Solacebase the plight of the graduate teachers yet to be issued their certificates due to non-payment of their scholarship fees to the institutions.

Comrade Hambali said he has been in discussions with the education commissioner on the issue and he is aware that the schools have been written to get the exact amount owed so that the teachers could get their certificates.

‘’I assured you that I will still follow up the issue with the education commissioner so that the government can speed up the payment of the fees to deal with this problem once and for all, ‘’said NUT Chairman.