We plan to improve infrastructure in rural schools – Abaji LEA scribe

The Acting Secretary of Local Education Authority (LEA) of Abaji Area Council, Mr Adabakpa Umar has said the council is working tirelessly to address infrastructural challenges in primary schools.

Umar in an interview said since he assumed office after the demise of the former LEA secretary, Alhaji Akilu Ramalan, he had met with head teachers of primary schools within the council in a bid to finding a means to tackling their challenges.

“I have evidence that those affected by the transfer have refused to go, which was one of the basis why I decided to summon a stakeholders meeting so that people will know the true position of things.

“There were some teachers that were served with transfer letters but they later returned the letters to me, saying that they preferred to remain in their former places. It is not proper for one to remain in one station for ten to 15 years and refuse to accept transfer.

He said over 300 staff comprising non-teaching staff are due for transfers, but are not willing to go.

He said the area council at the recent stakeholders meeting had asked those unwilling to accept the transfer to resign from their positions.

He said the issue of saying that no teacher has rejected transfer was not true, “probably the union may feel that the transfer would not be done transparently, which is not so.”

On the shortage of primary school teachers, he said the council is looking at ways to see how more teachers would be recruited and deployed to some of the schools.

“The issue of employment is not something that one will just wake up and start, there has to be resources to cater for the new teachers that are going to be employed. And we at our own level, we have written and are waiting for the council authorities to give approval before we can commence employment of new teachers,” he said.