By Suleiman Anyalewchi
“It is unacceptable for our children to sit on the floor in classrooms ,while education secretaries and head teachers divert Government-supplied furniture to private schools and homes. I have visited several schools myself, and seen this first-hand, despite records showing that furniture had been delivered to them. I will not tolerate this under my watch”.
Above were the shocking words of the Chairman of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board NSUBEB ,Dr Kassim Muhammad Kassim as lamented the mindless diversion of public infrastructural facilities meant for public schools in the State.
At a crucial meeting with stakeholders and Education Secretaries from the 13 Local Councils of the State, in his office on Wednesday June ,11 2025, the newly appointed NSUBEB noted that findings have revealed that most of the diverted furniture and other instructional materials were sold to private schools and homes.
This is just as he informed that the Nasarawa State Government has directed the immediate arrest and prosecution of all those found to be engaged in the despicable act of denying pupils a conducive learning environment.
Dr Kassim described as disgusting and ungodly a situation where pupils will be forced to sit on bare floor to learn while some unscrupulous characters smile to the bank after illegally diverting and selling furniture and other materials meant for the innocent pupils.
The NSUBEB boss stated that the board has entered into a collaboration with the State Police authorities to conduct random inspection of both private schools and residences with a view to locating the diverted school materials.
According to him, any entities, homes ,individuals or group found to be culpable or discovered to be in possession of any Government-supplied furniture or school materials will be made to face the full weight of the law.
Preliminary investigation ,Dr Kassim stated, has already unearthed considerable private homes and schools making use of NSUBEB branded furniture.
The new NSUBEB helmsman informed that as part of the measures to rejig the operations of the board, he has directed the immediate redeployment of about 1,300 administrative staff out of the over 3,422 serving in different parts of the 18 development authorities and 13 Local Government Areas of the State.
In the same vein, administrative personnel with prerequisite teaching qualifications are to be reassigned to the classroom,especially in the rural areas.
Dr Kassim noted that the measure is to mitigate the problem of inadequate teaching staff ,in the remote areas of the state .
“There is no justification for public schools to be short of teachers, while qualified personnel are stockpiled in the adminstration department.
“We cannot have an army of supervisors when most rural schools do not have a single teacher. In any case, what are they supervising in the absence of teachers?”
In all, he warned that it is not going to be business as usual under his watch, insisting that staff brace up for a new, responsive and responsible system .
He emphasized that he was appointed by Abdulahi Sule to revive and reposition the education sub sector, promising to do so even if it means offending some people .
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