El-Rufai: Kaduna Governor cuts LG workforce to 7000

The new measure is an attempt to put a stop to overstaffing in the LGAs.

Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has signed an executive order that will limit the number of personnel in all 23 local government areas of the state to just 7000.

In a press statement released by the state government on Monday, November 27, 2017, the governor said the new measure is an attempt to put a stop to overstaffing in the LGAs.

He also revealed that the number will exclude teachers under the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB)and primary health centre staff who have been moved to the State Primary Health Care Development Agency.

The governor said, "Part of the reason why many local governments are broke is that they are overstaffed. The administrative department of Zaria local government has 300 staff. For what?

"This overstaffing is why many of the local government councils cannot pay salaries without the support of the state government.

"So, we have prescribed personnel figures for all the 23 local government councils in Kaduna state. Direct council staff will now be less than 7000 in total.

"This excludes teachers under SUBEB and primary health centre staff who have been moved to the State Primary Health Care Development Agency.

"I have signed an Executive Order directing the Administrators of the 23 local government councils to comply with the prescribed personnel levels."

The governor is currently involved in a public clash with the state's Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) after he sacked 21,780 primary school teachers for failing a competency test.

ALSO READ: Teachers' union dares El-Rufai to sack members

Kaduna's controversial competency test

The issue of competency tests for teachers has divided opinions for the past few weeks after 21,780 primary school teachers in Kaduna State who failed a competency test organised by the state government were sacked by Governor El-Rufai.

Of the 33,000 primary school teachers who sat for the examination conducted by SUBEB, only 11,220 passed the exercise.

After issuing a one-month notice to the failed teachers to prepare for disengagement from service, the Kaduna State Executive Council approved the immediate commencement of the process of recruiting 25,000 new primary school teachers.

In reaction to the dismissal, several protests sprung up across the state resulting in a violent attack on lawmakers and vandalisation of properties worth millions at the state's House of Assembly complex.

Recruitment of new teachers

The submission of applications for the state's recruitment of new teachers has closed on November 19 with short listed candidates invited for a written test on November 26.

Successful candidates will be interviewed on January 8, 2018 before temporary appointment letters will be issued to successful applicants to commence work on January 25.

SOURCE - PULSE.NG posted by Campus94