By Amos Aar
THE BENUE State House of Assembly has raised concerns over the legitimacy of the Bureau of Education Quality Assurance (BEQA), demanding the signed copy of the Executive Order that grants legal backing to the agency’s operations.
This development followed a meeting at the Benue State Assembly Complex involving Assembly’s Standing Committee on Primary and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management (BEQA), and other key stakeholders on Monday.
The chaired of the house committee, Hon. Cephas Dyako, said the meeting was aimed at addressing the ongoing leadership crisis which has persisted for over a year between the Ministry and BEQA.
In his opening remarks, Hon. Dyako acknowledged that the committee had received multiple complaints about BEQA’s activities, including a formal petition against the agency.
The petitioners, along with other stakeholders, such as the acting Executive Secretary of the Teaching Service Board (TSB) and the President of the All Nigerian Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), were invited to discuss the matter.
He further noted that recent correspondences from the rival agencies, along with the petition from TESB Schools, Makurdi, indicate that the ongoing dispute is hindering progress in the state’s education sector. The committee, therefore, convened the meeting to seek a resolution.
When questioned about the crisis, the Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Rev. Dr. Frederick Ikyaan, attributed the issue to attitudinal problems. He strongly criticised BEQA’s alleged actions, stating that no agency has the authority to confiscate, destroy, or burn another agency’s records, as BEQA has reportedly done.
Rev. Ikyaan also denounced BEQA Director General, Dr. Terna Francis’ repeated assertions that the Bureau operates independently of the ministry, stressing that Governor Hyacinth Alia had previously clarified BEQA’s mandate.
When asked whether BEQA directly handles official correspondence and policy matters, Dr. Francis explained that while some communications come through the ministry, others are addressed directly to BEQA.
However, controversy arose over the authenticity of the Executive Order establishing BEQA. While the Director General claimed that the Attorney General had provided the document and cited gazetted sections, he admitted that it was unsigned.
In response, committee members (Honourables Simon Gabo, Solomon Gyilla, Anthony Agom, and Shimawua) dismissed the document’s validity, insisting that an unsigned order cannot be considered legally binding.
They demanded a signed copy before further discussions, questioning how could an unsigned document that had not passed through the Assembly be classified as gazetted.
ANCOPSS President, Mr. Robert Apir, and TSB Acting Executive Secretary, Mr. Tsea Ahule, pleaded with the committee to resolve the dispute, emphasising that the ongoing conflict was negatively impacting their work.
They expressed frustration at being caught between two government agencies and uncertain about which authority to follow.
Speaking on behalf of the petitioners from TESB Schools, Makurdi, Barr. Ioryina of Ioryina and Associates, stated that their actions were driven by the need for legal clarity.
He reaffirmed their commitment to the development of education in Benue State and urged the committee to handle the matter with fairness and impartiality.
Following deliberations, the committee adjourned the hearing to a date to be communicated to all parties.
