In 1960s he was main ideologist of the Communist Party of Ukraine who between the later Khrushchev Thaw and the early Brezhnev's era of stagnation personified a policy of government in cultural, education, and spiritual spheres.
In 1959 Skaba became a minister of restructured Ministry of Higher and General Special Education.
At the same time in mid 1960s there intensified struggle against the nationalist intelligentsia, began persecution of Viacheslav Chornovil, Valentyn Moroz, Ivan Drach, and others (the Sixtiers in Ukraine).
Nonetheless in Moscow the management of ideological department of Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine was recognized as unsatisfactory and positions of Skaba as contemplative, in his address were expressed accusations in condoning of nationalist elements.
Skaba headed a commission of Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine that was conducting evaluation of the Ivan Dziuba's work "Internationalism or Russification?"