Govt. debunks alleged expulsion of 6 Sec Sch. Students in Taraba

Okerafor Athanatius, Jalingo.

The Taraba State government has debunked an alleged media report that Six (6) Students from Salihu Dogo Government Day Secondary School, Jalingo have been expelled from the School for staging a peaceful protest against the School for infrastructural decay.

Briefing Journalists this Wednesday in Jalingo, the Commissioner, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Hon. Johannes Jigem said the report on the alleged expulsion of Six (6) Students of the School was not only false but malicious, unfounded and misleading.

Jigem, who emphasized that not even one (1) Student was suspended, let alone being expelled by the School authority, further explained that for a Student to be expelled from the School for whatever reason, due process must be duly followed.

The Commissioner, who admitted receiving reports of Students’ protest from the Management of Salihu Dogo GDSS, Jalingo through the Post Primary School Management Board added that preliminary findings revealed that the protest was engineered by some mischief makers.

While disclosing that only a handful of the Students participated in the protest, Jigem added that normalcy has since returned to the School with academic activities going on un-interrupted.

On the issue of alleged infrastructural decay in the School, the Commissioner said the matter had been over-exaggerated, stressing that the Education sector under the administration of Governor Darius Ishaku has witnessed great transformation especially in the area of infrastructure and instructional materials for effective teaching and learning in the State government schools.

“As I speak now, over Five Hundred and Eighty (580) Classes have been rehabilitated/constructed in our Secondary Schools across the State”,

“In the same manner, Seats/Benches for both Staff and Students have been supplied to all the Schools that were either rehabilitated or constructed”, said the Commissioner.

Hon. Johannes Jigem however, commended the Principal, Salihu Dogo GDSS, Jalingo, Mrs. Christy Zaku and her management staff, the Nigerian Police, Jalingo Area Command and the Executive Secretary, Post Primary Schools Management Board, Elder Danazumi Navoki Hassan, his management staff for responding fast and quick that helped restoring peace to the School.

He also called on the Media to always balance their Reports before making them available for publication.