Government Is Addressing Demands Of Striking TSU Lecturers – Perm. Sec. 

The Permanent Secretary, Taraba State Ministry of Education, Mr. Samson Ada has said the state government was seriously looking into the issues that led to the strike embarked upon by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Taraba State University branch with a view to addressing them.

Mr Samson Ada – Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education

The permanent secretary disclosed this on Wednesday in Jalingo during a programme “Face the Press,” an initiative of the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Public Affairs, Hon. Emmanuel Bello for public servants to engage the media on issues in the state.

He explained that when the new Vice Chancellor came in, he saw the need to introduce new faculties and courses in the University which led to increase in manpower and rise in the salary bills of the University.

“The University has come to stay and government is committed in making the University one of the best, so very soon the issues will be resolved.

“The bill of quantity in respect to the parameter fencing of the University is ready and soon work on the fence will commence and I want to appeal to the striking lecturers to exercise patience and understand with us to move the University forward,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary informed that in a bid to sanitize the educational system of the state, the Ministry of Education recently queried 14 secondary school Principals over their schools’ alleged involvement in examination malpractice conducted by the West African School Examination Council (WAEC).

According to him, the warning and query letters issued to the Principals was part of the disciplinary measures put in place by the Ministry to ensure quality educational service to the people of the state.

“Principals are not supposed to leave the school premises while examinations are going on, so that if there are issues they can address them, but from the letters written by WAEC to the schools intimating them of why results of some subjects in their schools were withheld, it was obvious the principals were not on ground during the examination.

“We are going to do a follow up matter to ascertain what exactly happened so to prevent future occurrence,” he said.