Decrying dearth of teachers at the basic education level, the Federal Government is to engage 1.3 million recruits in the next six years to address the problem.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who made the disclosure yesterday at the flag-off of the Teacher Development Training of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) programme in Abuja, said besides the quality of teachers, government was more disturbed about the existing gap at the basic education sector.

“The availability of qualified and competent t‎eachers, their continuous training and retraining would have to be emphasised to complement others to come up with quality basic education achievements,” he said.

Adamu, however, noted that, in addition to its intervention through the UBEC, government was working to recruit and inject 500,000 teachers into basic education sector nationwide. He added that when the exercise is completed, it would place more responsibilities on states and local councils to provide infrastructural and instructional materials to teachers.

Also yesterday, the minister urged the newly appointed 17 chief executive officers of parastatals and agencies under his ministry to check impunity and financial recklessness in their organisations.

Adamu, who gave the charge during their inauguration in Abuja, urged the chief executives to work in line with the change mantra of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

He gave the new heads one month to come up with action plans. In an interview with The Guardian shortly after the ceremony, the Registrar, National Examinations Council (NECO), Prof. Charles Uwakwe, said the minister was clear on his mandate for the new chief executives.

“The minister was very clear on what our tasks and mandates are. The President insisted that we must ensure that the change mantra is carried through in our various organisations.

“The President also talked about stopping impunity in our various organisations. That is a very important mandate which the chief executives have pledged to carry through to the best of our abilities.” (The Guardian)

•Photo shows Adamu Adamu.