While most Nigerians scrolled past what seemed like another bureaucratic announcement over the weekend, a deeper story from Jigawa quietly slipped through the headlines.
Behind the Saturday media chat with Professor Haruna Musa, Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), was a sharp shift in how the state plans to handle ghost workers in the education sector.
Forget the usual press line this isn’t just about “salaries being withheld.” This is about power, double roles, and a reckoning long overdue.
The board has flagged 239 teachers who were reportedly absent from their posts some for two months, others for as long as three years. One case stood out: a primary school teacher who had taken up the role of a traditional ruler while still receiving his teaching salary.
“The teacher had abandoned his teaching duties for three years while still collecting his salary and receiving additional payment as village head,” Professor Musa told reporters.
The board isn’t letting it slide.
“The teacher has the option to continue working while paying back the salaries collected,” the SUBEB boss said.
The state’s message is clear: absenteeism will no longer be swept under the rug. In an unusual move for such a sensitive matter, SUBEB is urging the public to step in urging communities to help name and report teachers who dodge their duties.
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“Some teachers were found to have abandoned their teaching duties for years without attending classes,” Musa added.
This crackdown wasn’t the only thing happening, the press conference came at the close of a five-day intensive training for 250 Arabic teachers. Drawn from all 27 local government areas, the teachers were taught computer literacy and proper lesson planning an effort to bring a sharper edge to classroom delivery.
“The board’s crackdown on absenteeism is part of its efforts to improve the quality of education in Jigawa State.”
So, while the weekend headline might have been missed, the underlying story is still unfolding: Jigawa isn’t just naming names it’s drawing a line.