Sokoto School Principal Suspended
OpenLife Nigeria reports that the Principal, Sultan Abubakar College, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Zayyanu Muhammad Umar, has been suspended and replaced by AbdulRahman Jaafaru, who is an Acting Director, Basic in the Sokoto State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.
The offence of Zayyanu Muhammad Umar is because he stayed on the path of truth by refusing to attest to the alleged forgery of certificates by the deputy governor of Kebbi State, Senator Umar Abubakar.
As of last week, Zayyanu Muhammad Umar was placed under tremendous pressure by the Permanent Secretary to produce attestation for the Deputy Governor Umar Abubakar.
But Zayyanu Muhammad Umar’s faithfulness to the oath of service overwhelmed him and he stayed on the path of truth.
According to the story, Kebbi State Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Abubakar, had writing a letter to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic Education and Secondary Education in Sokoto, Mr Lawal Saddiq Sanusi, applying for the certified true copy of his testimonial.’
In the letter, he alleged that he was a student of Sultan Abubakar College between 1974 and 1979 with the admission number 958. He requested for the certified true copy of the testimonial and secondly, for a letter of attachment and confirmation that the testimonial bearing Umaru Abubakar belongs to him.
However and despite an alleged threats and financial inducements, the Principal of the school, Zayyanu Muhammad Umar, refused to play ball saying he has no such official record with the school.
In the process, the principal of the school was put under intense fire by the Permanent Secretary to produce attestation for the Deputy Governor.
In a response titled: Re-Application for Certified True Copy of Testimonial and a Letter of Attestation for Umaru Abubakar, Zayyanu Muhammad Umar wrote:
“The name Umaru Abubakar is not on the list of students who graduated and were issued testimonials in 1979.
Neither the Examinations Records nor any of the school records listed the name of Umaru Abubakar as having sat for Teachers Grade ll examinations in 1982, or to be among students who were issued testimonials in 1982 as indicated in the testimonial attached by Senator Umaru Abubakar Argungu.
The attached copy of the testimonial of Umaru Abubakar does not carry the name of the issuing officer, which is not the tradition of the school,” the response to the request stated.
However, credible information reveals that the Kebbi State Deputy Governor was allegedly dismissed from the Sultan Abubakar College Sokoto which was then a Teachers Training College during a mock examination alongside 15 others.
To punish Zayyanu Muhammad Umar, an unsigned query, dated May 30, 2023, has been issued to the Principal by Abdulsamad Hamzat Isa, Acting Director, Administration, on behalf of Sokoto State Honourable Commissioner of Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.
In the unsigned query, seen by this medium on Tuesday, Zayyanu Muhammad Umar was falsely accused of unsatisfactory performance on his job and in his capacity as a school Principal.
For want of any genuine offence, Zayyanu Muhammad Umar was accused of “Unilaterally disclosing official information without authorization. These unruly and immoral behaviors of yours constitute an act of misconduct punishable under PSR NO 030402,” the letter stated without disclosing the “Official information” Zayyanu Muhammad Umar let out to the public.
The letter stated further that Zayyanu Muhammad Umar “Unilaterally, without the consent of the Ministry, travelled to Abuja and by doing so, you have absented yourself from duty without leave.”
Consequently, Zayyanu Muhammad Umar has been asked to “Appear before a committee to investigate the matter on Wednesday, May 31 by 12:00pm at the Ministry Headquarters.
The letter added that “ A sole Administrator in person of AbdulRahman Jaafaru, Acting Director, Basic, has been appointed to oversee the activities of the school pending the outcome of the investigation,” the suspended letter stated.
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