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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has absorbed 1,200 ad hoc staff of two tertiary institutions who have been in temporary employment for the past 10 years.
The institutions are the College of Education, Gindiri, and the Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi.
Speaking at a meeting with the staff at Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos, on Tuesday, Mutfwang said that it was immoral, unprofitable, and wicked to retain a staff on a temporary basis on a monthly salary of N6,000 and N15,000.
The governor said that he decided to cancel the appointments made by his predecessor in the twilight of the administration so as to correct the injustice done to the ad hoc staff but was misunderstood.
Mutfwang said that apart from absorbing them, he would compensate them for all the years they had lost.
He said, “It’s unfortunate to discover that those who had sustained those institutions for the several years that have passed, none of you were given a permanent appointment.
“And we felt it was immoral, it was unprofitable, it was wicked, and that’s why we decided that let’s suspend the entire exercise so that we can prove it to all the complaints and injustices that were done.
“Some people were not patient enough; they rushed to court and got judgement. They got judgement because, not that what we did was wrong, that it should have been done by the judge, but by the councils of the schools, which were not yet constituted.
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“And after the councils were constituted, they went into all the records to be able to see who is eligible and who is not eligible. And we even created a help desk in the Ministry of Education for people who had complaints to come and study our complaints. And I’m sure a few people needed it, and they were absorbed.
“Our interest is in making sure that these institutions have the kind of staff that is required for them to train the kind of students they want to see in the future.
“I want to announce to you that we have sat together with the heads of your institutions, with the commissioner, and all of those in government, and we felt that even the years of collecting 6,000 and 15,000 should not only be appreciated but should be compensated.
“So, I want you to know that I have approved some money that will be distributed to the schools that are going to get to you properly compensated.”
Commissioner for Education Mrs. Kachollom Gyang described Mutfwang as a compassionate leader who has the interest of the people of the state at heart.
On behalf of the staff, he appreciated the governor for listening to the plight of the staff.
Speaking on behalf of the staff, Josiah Sati said that for more than 10 years, they had toiled and appealed to successive governments, but none of them listened to them.
He said that they would support the governor for another four years in office.
