By Jako Keke, August 14, 2026
The Taraba State Universal Basic Education Board (TSUBEB) has dismissed reports alleging illegal deductions from the salaries and arrears of primary school teachers across the state, explaining that the ₦5,000 deduction was approved for the production of permanent identity cards for teachers.
The Board, in a statement issued through its Public Relations Department, described the allegations circulating on social media as misleading, insisting that the deduction was part of a planned identity-management initiative designed to strengthen personnel records and improve administration in the basic education sector.
According to TSUBEB, the initiative was conceived by the Board and subsequently discussed with and supported by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Taraba State Wing, following consultations between the two bodies.
“The initiative was subsequently discussed with and supported by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Taraba State Wing, following consultations between both parties,” the statement said.
Findings by reporters also indicated that the exercise was undertaken following consultations with NUT leadership, with the aim of securing stakeholders’ understanding and participation in the process.
TSUBEB said the permanent identity cards would provide teachers with a verifiable means of identification while strengthening staff records, improving security and enhancing personnel management across primary schools in the state.
The Board added that the project would assist the administration of Governor Agbu Kefas in developing an accurate and verifiable database of teachers, thereby providing reliable information for planning, deployment, monitoring and other policy decisions in the education sector.
It explained that the identity cards would contain modern security features to facilitate proper identification and accountability and help address challenges associated with personnel management.
A senior TSUBEB director, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the initiative as part of the broader reforms being implemented under the leadership of the Board’s Chairperson, Mrs Christiana Binga.
“These are part of the deliberate reforms to reposition the Board. The Chairperson has been consulting widely across stakeholders, including the NUT, to ensure no teacher is left behind. We are moving the Board from a provincial mode of operations to a digital mode that guarantees accountability,” the director said.
The development has also attracted commendation from some education stakeholders, who described the move towards digital personnel management as overdue.
Some head teachers and NUT officials who spoke with reporters said the permanent identity cards could help curb impersonation, expose ghost workers and improve record-keeping in schools.
They further argued that a reliable database of teachers would enable government to better identify genuine personnel and ensure that education-sector interventions and welfare packages reach the intended beneficiaries.
TSUBEB maintained that the exercise was not connected to any loan, repayment arrangement or other financial obligation unrelated to the production of the identity cards.
“It is therefore incorrect to portray the exercise as an illegal deduction or to suggest that it is connected to any loan or financial obligation unrelated to the identity card project,” the Board stated.
The Board also warned against what it described as attempts by “mischief makers” to discredit its ongoing reforms and create unnecessary tension among teachers and members of the public.
It reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and the welfare of teachers, while urging the public and education workers to verify information through official channels before circulating claims capable of causing confusion or anxiety.
The Board said the permanent ID card initiative forms part of its wider efforts to modernise basic education administration in Taraba State and establish a more credible, efficient and accountable personnel management system.
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