"I Won't Bow to Political Pressure in Civil Service Reforms" -Radda

By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar 

Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has declared that his administration will not be deterred by political pressure in its efforts to reform the state civil service, insisting that only qualified personnel would remain in government employment.

The governor made the remarks on Friday during the presentation of appointment letters to 2,158 newly recruited teachers at the TESS Hall in Katsina.

"I don't care what politicians will say. I am doing this for the benefit of Katsina State. Anyone who is not qualified has been removed from the civil service, and we will not allow threats or pressure from anyone to stop us from doing what is right," Radda said.

He described the recruitment of the new teachers as a major step towards strengthening the state's education sector, stressing that the exercise was conducted on the basis of merit, transparency and fairness.

According to him, education remains the foundation of sustainable development, adding that his administration is committed to investing in the sector to ensure every child in Katsina has access to quality education delivered by competent teachers.

The governor disclosed that since assuming office in 2023, his administration has recruited 7,326 teachers, 1,020 primary healthcare workers and 804 personnel for state-owned hospitals.

He also highlighted other interventions in the education sector, including the construction of new schools, establishment of Smart Schools, payment of examination fees for WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBIS candidates, provision of overseas scholarships, and implementation of education projects under the AGILE programme and other initiatives.

Radda said the government had introduced several welfare measures for teachers, including a N30,000 monthly rural posting allowance, establishment of a Teachers' Training Institute, training of over 25,000 teachers, provision of electric motorcycles for teachers serving in hard-to-reach communities, and distribution of 18,000 tablets to improve lesson preparation.

The governor further announced that education secretaries in local government areas would henceforth be appointed from serving professional teachers rather than from outside the teaching profession.

He directed the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education to collaborate with the Teachers' Training Institute to organise orientation programmes for the newly recruited teachers on professional ethics, public service rules and modern teaching methods.

Radda urged the new teachers to demonstrate integrity, diligence and commitment, saying they would play a crucial role in shaping the future of Katsina by educating and mentoring children.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Suleman Jibiya, said the recruitment process was conducted strictly on merit without political interference.

He disclosed that 65,598 applicants applied for the positions, out of which 8,889 qualified for the computer-based test (CBT). A total of 3,683 candidates progressed to the interview stage, while 2,158 were eventually offered appointments.

According to him, 658 of the successful candidates will teach in secondary schools, while 1,500 have been deployed to primary schools across the state.

Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of the Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Kabir Magaji Gafiya, commended the governor for prioritising education through teacher recruitment, school infrastructure development, teacher training and improved learning facilities.

The event was attended by the Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Nasiru Yahaya Daura, the State TESS Programme Coordinator, members of the State Executive Council, heads of education agencies, security officials, media representatives and the newly recruited teachers.