TheCable

Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, says 43,806 applicants have indicated interest in replacing the teachers who failed examination questions meant for primary four pupils.

Speaking when he visited the state assembly on Thursday, el-Rufai said the applicants would be thoroughly screened.

He also promised that his administration would give severance package to those who would be dismissed.

There are 21,780 persons to be sacked for incompetence.

The governor appealed to the lawmakers to save future generations from ignorance, insisting that quality education must be pursued at public primary and secondary schools.

“We all agreed that we must pursue this cause as a path to free present and future generations,” he said.

“There is no future for a country that consigns most of its people to ignorance.

“Having benefitted from quality public education, we must be committed to reviving our public schools.

“Reform is not restricted to recruiting and retaining competent teachers, he said.

“We are constructing and reconstructing schools, classrooms, updating the curriculum, providing facilities and teaching aids and teachers’ welfare.

“The unqualified teachers that are being replaced will get all their rights and entitlements.”