Sokoto Govt Suspends Six Principals Over Alleged Misconduct

Sokoto State Government has, through the State’s Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, suspended six school principals for alleged acts of insubordination and unauthorised collection of fees tied to the Junior Secondary School examination results.

Naijaonpoint learnt that the suspension, approved by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Professor Ahmad Ladan Ala, took effect on Monday.

According to the ministry, the affected principals are from:

1. Nana Girls Secondary School, Sokoto
2. Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) Gagi
3. GDSS Mana
4. Giginya Memorial College
5. Mana Basic Secondary School, Sokoto
6. GDSS Silame (suspended specifically for insubordination)

The ministry directed the suspended principals to hand over all administrative responsibilities to their respective Vice Principals (Administration) without delay.

To address the alleged violations, the commissioner inaugurated a five-member investigative committee to probe the matter.

The committee is chaired by Professor Mustapha Namakka Tukur, with members including the Executive Secretary of AIEB, the Director of Quality Assurance, the Director of Planning (Teachers Service Board), and the Director of Quality Assurance, who will also serve as secretary.

In a statement issued on Friday by the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Mohammad Iya, on behalf of the commissioner, the ministry reaffirmed its commitment to discipline, transparency, and accountability across all public schools in Sokoto State.

Professor Ala warned, “No principal or school administrator will be allowed to act outside the law or exploit students and parents. Our schools must be governed by accountability, not personal interests.”

He stressed that the government would not hesitate to sanction any official found wanting.

The ministry recalled that in 2024, the Federal Ministry of Education had warned state governments to eliminate illegal levies in public schools, stressing that such practices discouraged enrolment and ran contrary to Nigeria’s commitment to universal basic education.

The suspension of the six principals, according to observers, underscores the Sokoto State Government’s renewed effort to enforce discipline in the education sector.

By reiterating that “no principal or school administrator will be allowed to act outside the law or exploit students and parents,” the government signalled that the era of unchecked practices in public schools was coming to an end.

The outcome of the ongoing investigation is expected to set a precedent for how similar cases will be handled in the state.