*The Kwara Sate Government says its decision to withhold their salaries was not unilateral or punitive; it was as a result of the unlawful insertion of names in the payroll without executive approval

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

For unlawfully inserting their names into the state government’s payroll without executive approval, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has invalidated the employment of 2,414 teachers unlawfully employed by the State Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB) in the twilight of the administration of former Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed.

Subsequently, the governor in a statement has decided to start the employment processes of the teachers all over again in 2021.

AbdulRazaq as well directed the immediate payment of seven months’ salaries earlier withheld from 594 SUBEB teachers since June 2020.

It was learnt the salaries were paid Thursday night on compassionate grounds as their employment status remains unofficial.

A government statement said: “Everyone whose salaries were withheld since June now had same paid strictly on compassionate grounds.

“The government’s decision to withhold their salaries was not unilateral or punitive. It was as a result of the unlawful insertion of their names into the payroll without executive approval.”

The state government was reported to have conducted extensive investigations, which revealed the following, that:

“A total number of 2,414 SUBEB teachers were engaged in the twilight of the past administration. They are otherwise called ‘sunset workers’.

“This figure is a violent contravention of the executive approval by former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed who had authorised the employment of 1,100 qualified teachers to take English Language, Mathematics, and Science subjects only.

“On assumption of office in 2019, Governor AmbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, faced with conflicting claims on these workers, magnanimously authorised the screening of all of them, after which 1,658 were cleared as qualified. Surprisingly, additional 594 got inserted into the payroll.

Other findings are, “there are claims that 162 more were part of the mix. This was discovered during Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s investigation of the untidy process that kept throwing up conflicting figures of employees and mind-boggling details of how non-qualified persons were engaged.

“For instance, it was discovered that several of the 1,658 purportedly adjudged to be qualified do not in fact have required teaching certificates.

“It was discovered that teachers were engaged for subjects not covered in the executive approval, underscoring the unwholesome and impeachable nature of the entire process.”

According to the government, “flowing from the above, the government has decided to start the employment process all over again in January 2021.

“The government will open a new application portal for all the 2,414 and any other eligible persons to apply for SUBEB teaching jobs in relevant subjects to be advertised. This effectively nullifies the controversial employment process of 2018/2019.

“This new process will be largely technology-driven, and needs-based, while every applicant will go through rigorous screenings.’’