ALLEGED BRIBE TAKINGS, TEACHERS’ POSTING UNSETTLES DELTA PRIMARY SCHOOLS *AGGRIEVED TEACHERS PETITION GOV OKOWA
Reliable sources said aggrieved teachers posted to rural areas for not being able to meet financial inducement to retain favoured areas, have petitioned the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa asking for his urgent intervention to avoid a work-to-rule.
Although their posting was followed by a circular from the state Ministry of Basic Education to all the Primary Schools, unconfirmed sources said poor implementation of alleged bribe takings
was employed in the procedures.
Expectedly, affected teachers are head mistresses/masters who are not degree holders and have served in one school for years, but the circular, a copy obtained by our reporter, compulsorily stated that headmasters/mistresses who are not degree holders henceforth cannot hold positions as heads of schools; rather they will be put on compulsory retirement before complete years of service.
Apart from the primary schools, strong indications are that those in the secondary schools with Nigeria Certificate of Education (NCE) and not a degree will be deployed to the primary schools to replace the retired ones.
A copy of the petition addressed to the governor and signed by a group of the aggrieved teachers, one of them Mrs. Elizabeth Ozah, made available to our reporter stated that the compulsory posting failed genuine procedures, alleging that officers in charge of posting and
transfer of teachers at the primary schools demanded gratifications.
Investigation revealed that many of the teachers were transferred to riverine communities where they could be subjected to transportation difficulties, while others who allegedly made their ways through gratifications were sent to schools in the cities.
Officials at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, who did not want their names in print, confirmed that the circular indicated that heads of schools without degrees should not be allowed to hold position and may be posted out of where they had spent over five
years and above, adding that it was not malign any teachers.
Reacting on the issue, an aide to the governor on print media, Victor Efiezomo said the governor will address all forms of irregularities in the system, adding that their petition was being looked into with a view to fishing out officers who allegedly asked for bribe to effect
transfer of teachers.
