Stephen Odey, Executive Chairman of Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has given reasons why his Board granted amnesty to 758 teachers instead of sending them to jail.
He said the advice came from the state House of Assembly Committee on Education because the impact of sending 758 teachers away from the state teaching service will be disastrous. The Board uncovered fraudulent activities by some teachers in the state teaching service through a personnel audit carried out by the Board. A total of 758 teachers have either forged certificates or impersonated others to get into the employ of the state. While 700 others on the pay roll of the state government for several years running were also discovered by the board.
These startling revelations were made recently at a press briefing by the Board’s Executive Chairman, Steve Odey.
He further disclosed that these discoveries have saved the state government about N70m lost on monthly to sharp practices experienced in the past.
The discoveries, according to Odey, were made possible through a thorough personnel audit conducted recently by the board across the 18 local government education authorities in the state.
He explained that, on his assumption of office less than two years ago, findings showed that the falling standard of education was getting to an alarming proportion. Hence he made haste to investigate the immediate and remote causes of this trend.
Odey explained that at the onset of the audit, the exercise generated much heat, tongues wagged as several allegations of high handedness were raised against him and the Board. But that given their determination to right the wrongs, they continued assiduously.
Odey said though , it might not be easy to throw out about 700 people out of job, the board in liaison with the state government were considering punitive measures for those found wanting to serve as deterrent to would be fraudsters who may want to cut corners to the state employ.
On the 237 contracts awarded so far, Odey said most of them have been completed, while others are near completion, promising that no project would be abandoned by his team as his excellency the governor is doing his best to ensure completion of all project embarked by his administration.
MIKE ABANG
