Parents Decry Extortion, Teacher Absenteeism At Nasarawa Nomadic School

Parents of pupils at the Wuro Nomadic School in Wuro Auta, Gitata area of Karu local government area of Nasarawa State have accused teachers posted to the school of chronic absenteeism and extortion.

The parents, under the aegis of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), said that the institution, which serves over 200 children from various Fulani settlements, was facing a severe shortage of teachers and learning materials.

The chairman of the PTA, Mr Saleh Isah, alleged yesterday that the current head teacher, who was posted to the school in March, had not yet reported for duty.

Isah further claimed that instead of reporting for duty, the head teacher had been calling him to demand for money.

“He will call and ask me to send him money, which I refused because he has never come to teach our children,” Isah alleged.

He explained that the school was established through communal efforts, but said that government support, in terms of teachers and instructional materials, had been inadequate.

According to him, the situation deteriorated after the school’s last teacher was transferred, with no one effectively taking over.

“Since the last teacher was transferred, the present one has refused to come. No government officials have visited despite several complaints to the authorities in the Panda Development Area,” he said.

Reacting to the allegations, the Supervisor in charge of the area, Mr Joseph Auta, said he would intervene to ensure the matter is thoroughly investigated and addressed.

Auta also called on the Nasarawa State Government to urgently recruit more teachers, noting that most schools in the area are grappling with serious manpower shortages.

In a similar vein, the Special Assistant to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Nomadic Education, Mrs Kande Adamu, assured that the state government would summon the teachers accused of extortion for questioning.

Adamu said that any teacher found culpable after an investigation would be sanctioned, stressing that the present administration is committed to providing access to quality education for all children, including those in nomadic communities, and to restoring discipline in the education sector.