The Benue State House of Assembly has lifted the suspension on the recruitment exercise of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for the overall interest of the applicants.

The suspension was lifted after the Ad-Hoc Committee Investigating Controversies Surrounding Recruitment of Primary School Teachers by the board concluded its assignment.

The committee chairman, Cephas Dyako (LP/Konshisha), stated a law to provide for compulsory free universal basic education and purposes connected therewith in 2018, section 7, 1 (b).

He said the law allowed the board to recruit, appoint, promote, and discipline teaching and non-teaching staff on grade levels 07 and above.

Mr Dyako said 74,574 candidates applied for the recruitment, 48,895 candidates sat the computer-based test (CBT), and 7,224 candidates were shortlisted for the oral interview.

He said the allocation of cut-off marks to each local government area was based on performance to avoid overdominance of some highly performing local governments over others in the recruitment exercise.

The chairman further said that based on the needs assessment carried out by the board, no local government got less than 200 candidates shortlisted for the oral interview except Makurdi and Ohimini local governments, which got 144 and 126, respectively. 

He added that 2,476 were yet to be shortlisted due to the suspension of the recruitment exercise. 

Mr Dyako disclosed that candidates were not originally shortlisted based on their local government of origin, therefore not reflecting the state character.

Blessed Onah (PDP/Oju I) said that due to the investigation carried out by the committee, there would be equity in the recruitment exercise. 

The speaker, Hyacinth Dajo, said the board should reassess the recruitment process and ensure compliance with extant laws based on fairness, equity, and justice to reflect state character. 

Mr Dajo commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for approving the recruitment of primary school teachers to bridge the existing gaps in public primary schools.

He said the board ensured that applicants were shortlisted and employed strictly in their local governments of origin, taking note of the financial autonomy granted to local governments.

The speaker charged all government appointees to desist from actions that undermine the assembly’s authority. 

(NAN)