The Kaduna state government has sacked 223 teachers from public service for presenting fake certificates when they were recruited to service.
Tijjani Abdullahi, chairman of the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (KADSUBEB), disclosed this at a press conference held today Thursday December 2nd, 2021.
He said the fake certificates were detected during a certificate verification exercise which started in April 2021.
Tijanni also mentioned that the major objective of the verification exercised was to ensure that all teachers in the state have the requisite credentials that constitute the basic qualifications for employment as teachers.
He noted that so far, the board has verified 451 certificates by contacting the institutions that awarded the certificates. Nine of the 13 institutions contacted have responded.
”The responses from the institutions show that 233 teachers presented fake certificates. This represents 51% of the 451 certificates on which responses have been received from the awarding institutions. One institution disowned 212 of these 233 fake certificates.
“The Board will dismiss the 233 teachers who presented these fake certificates, while their files will be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice to initiate prosecution for forgery. The Board will continue to check the integrity of the certificates presented by teachers to ensure that this critical profession is not devalued by impostors.
“As part of our duty of transparency, the names of the 233 teachers found to have presented fake certificates will be uploaded on the website of the Kaduna State Government today”he said
He also revealed that the state will be conducting another competency test for teachers soon.