The Benue State House of Assembly has directed Dr. Grace Adagba, Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), to step aside to allow for an investigation into the board’s recruitment exercise.
The decision was made during Thursday’s plenary following a motion by Chief Whip Peter Ipusu (APC, Katsina-Ala West), who accused Dr. Adagba of disregarding an earlier House resolution to halt the recruitment of primary school teachers.
Ipusu noted that despite the directive, SUBEB released new cut-off marks for local governments based on their performance in a Computer-Based Test (CBT) and shortlisted additional candidates for physical screening. He described the action as a reactionary move that disrespected the Assembly’s authority.
Supporting the motion, Alfred Berger (APC, Makurdi North) questioned Dr. Adagba’s integrity, stating that recruitment should be managed by the Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) with SUBEB serving only a supervisory role.
However, Majority Leader Saater Tiseer and Anthony Agom (PDP, Okpokwu) urged the House to ensure fairness by allowing Dr. Adagba to defend herself, highlighting her willingness to appear before the Assembly.
Following a vote, 21 members supported the motion for suspension, while five voted against it. Speaker Hyacinth Dajo directed Dr. Adagba to hand over to the board’s Permanent Member 1 and constituted a seven-member committee to investigate the recruitment exercise. The committee has been given seven days to submit its findings.
This development underscores the Assembly’s commitment to ensuring transparency in recruitment processes.
