By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The Executive Chairman of Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Dr. Grace Adagba says over 74,000 persons applied for the state’s teachers’ recruitment exercise but only those with the necessary qualifications were invited to sit for the ongoing Computer-Based recruitment test.

The Executive Chairman who made this known when she featured on ‘Issues of the Moment’ a state owned radio public enlightenment programme, to discuss the ongoing exercise lauded Governor Hyacinth Alia who she described as, ‘the talk and do Governor’ “for his continuous advocacy for due process, transparency and support for basic education in Benue state.”

The Executive Chairman who urged the people of Benue to continue placing their trust in the current administration, which she described as “a government truly for the masses” also expressed gratitude to the Benue State House of Assembly for backing the process, which she noted had so far been smooth, transparent, and without bias.

Dr. Adagba emphasized that the real-time result displays assures applicants that the recruitment exercise was based purely on merit, eliminating any need for external influence stating that “over 74,000 candidates applied for the vacancies, with only those meeting the necessary qualifications allowed to sit for the test.”

She assured that the exercise would be hitch free, disclosing that “over 10 technical assistants are on hand to guide the candidates, and light refreshments have also been provided to ensure their comfort.”

Reflecting on the journey to implement the Computer-Based Test, CBT, process, Dr. Adagba said it required resilience, emphasizing that “true change requires dedication and the ability to withstand pressure. The recruitment aims to promote transparency and accountability in absorbing new teachers into the system.”

Responding to callers, Dr. Adagba stated that more than 100 project sites for school renovation and construction had already been handed over to contractors hinting  also of plans to construct storey buildings in Public Schools while efforts were on to secure the 2024 matching grant for additional projects in the state.

While assuring that SUBEB would collaborate with UNICEF for effective monitoring and tracking of newly recruited teachers, the Chairman received accolades from most of the callers for her innovations at SUBEB and urged the public to continue supporting her to transform basic education in the state.

Meanwhile the Chairman of the Benue State House of Assembly Standing Committee on Education, Mr. Cephas Dyako, has expressed satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the CBT.

The lawmaker who gave the commendation when he visited the CBT venue to monitor the exercise, praised the availability of logistics and personnel, attributing the seamless progress of the activities to effective planning, “as previously explained and assured by the Executive Chairman of SUBEB during a session with the Assembly.”

He said, “what I see here is really impressive. As the Chairman of the Education Committee and a representative of the Assembly, I believe this settles the concerns we initially had. At one point, we were skeptical about the success of the CBT, but I have now seen firsthand that this is indeed a more efficient method for recruitment. I encourage other agencies to emulate this type of recruitment process.”

Dyako also commended the applicants from various LGAs for their resilience and orderly conduct, and urged SUBEB to maintain transparency in the process to ensure that only qualified candidates were selected.

Responding, Dr. Adagba who reassured the people of Benue State that there would be no compromise in the recruitment exercise also appreciated the State House of Assembly for supporting the Governor’s efforts to reposition the sector.

Two candidates, Victoria Agee and Demenongo Ieren lauded SUBEB for the transparent manner the exams were being conducted and the efficiency of the ICT facilities, noting that they found the system easy to navigate. They also both expressed optimism that they would  meet the examination requirements and get selected in the recruitment exercise.