Minna:- Niger state governor, Dr. Babangida
Aliyu has given approval for the immediate
recruitment of Christian Religious Teachers to
commence the teaching of the subject in all
public schools in the state.
Besides, Proprietors of all private schools in
the state have also been directed to re
introduce religious studies into their
curriculum.
The teaching of Christian religion had been
tactically suspended in all public schools in
the state during the last administration under
the guise that there were no qualified CRK
teachers in the state.
However, chairman of the Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN) Niger state
chapter, Rev. Dauda Maigari during a
courtesy visit to the state governor with his
members raised the issue on the need to
recruit CRK teachers whom he said are
readily available to take up the
appointments.
Addressing journalists at the end of its
weekly Executive Council meeting in Minna,
the state Head of Service, Barrister Abass
Bello said the governor has graciously
approved the recruitment of 259 Christian
Religious knowledge teachers for all public
schools in the state.
The Head of service explained that the CRK
teachers will form part of the 6,000
unemployed graduates to be recruited
immediately out of the 17,000 graduates
that registered for the Graduate Engagement
Scheme.
Barrister Bello said out of the 6000 to be
employed, about 1000 of them would be
made to teach Christian and Islamic religious
knowledge as part of the steps taken by the
state government to bring back morals into
the youths.
“The state government has taken this step as
a deliberate way of restoring morality and
discipline back into the youths as a way of
denouncing crime and toeing the path of
peace,” he explained.
He said all the 6000 successful will undergo 3
months training during which the University
and Higher National Diploma holders will be
paid N10,000 monthly allowance while those
with Diploma and National Certificate in
Education (NCE) will also receive N8000
monthly before being formerly absorbed
under the civil service rules.
It was reliably gathered that most of the
6000 underlisted will be posted to various
schools to teach while others will be engaged
in agriculture.
“Both Christians and Muslims in the various
schools will be encouraged to study both
religion in order to have an insight of the
two religions as a way appreciating the
religions and one another in future,” the
Head of Service remarked.
According to him the students may not even
sit for either of the two papers in their WAEC
and NECO examinations but just make them
have the knowledge of the two religions.