By CrossRiverWatch Admin
The Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Stephen Odey, says the administration of Senator Ben Ayade in Cross River is passionately committed to ensuring standard and qualitative basic education in the state.
Dr. Odey disclosed this while addressing teachers at the ongoing personnel audit, biometric image capturing and promotion/upgrading interview at the St. John Primary School, Yahe, Yala, conducted by the Board.
He added that it is based on that premise that the Governor, Senator Ayade recently released N1 billion marching grant to the Board to enable it secure the equivalent grant from Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Abuja for the development of basic education in the state.
The SUBEB Chairman explained that through hard work and commitment of the government of Ayade, the state has moved from the position of irrelevance to become the number one performing state in Nigeria, and that the Board has acquired magnetic boards and table tennis boards to be distributed to schools in the state.
Dr. Odey stressed that to this end, SUBEB will not tolerate any form of fake academic certificates, replacement of names of dead persons and inclusion of ghost names into the nominal roll, among other unethical behaviors, warning that those who indulge in these unholy practices will face disciplinary action including the prospect of facing prosecution, warning that salaries will only be paid to genuine teachers.
The Board Chairman and his team who are currently covering seven zones comprising 70 schools at the St. John Primary School, Yahe, Yala, said that the only way the frequent screening exercise for teachers can be brought to an end is for the teachers themselves to do what is right, adding that there was every need for those with fake certificates to willingly surrender them to him or be ready to face the consequence when discovered.
He further stressed the importance of teachers to be of good example to their pupils/students in dressing, neatness and conduct, and warned that the Board will henceforth embark on thorough and frequent monitoring after the conclusion of the ongoing personnel audit, adding that the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) as a body is in full support of the exercise with representatives of the union in the team.
Odey said that it is the desire of the Board and the Ayade led administration in Cross River to see that all our pupils from Primary 3-6 are able to read and write and that teachers who could not read and write at that level should be ashamed of themselves and are supposed to be sacked.
He admonished the teachers to be live according to their means and be proud of their profession, stressing that as a teacher, it is either you choose to do your work or you are shown the way out to have time to do what you love best.
The current exercise by SUBEB is in continuation of the personnel verification and biometrics/image capturing exercise for primary school teachers and staff of the Local Government Education Authorities, and those concerned are to personally present themselves for the exercise which is being conducted based on the 2016 nominal roll/staff disposition submitted to the Board by Executive Secretaries of Education Authorities in the state.
Teachers and other staff are expected to go along with original and photocopies of their service documents and educational qualifications for the exercise, including their Bank Verification number (BVN), while ghost workers and those with irregular appointments are advised for their own interest to stay off the exercise to avoid unpleasant consequences.
The itinerary indicates that Monday, January 23 to Wednesday January 25, 2017 is scheduled for Yala; Thursday January 26 to Saturday January 28, 2017 is for Ogoja at St. Ben’s 1 Primary school Igoli; Monday, January 30 to Tuesday 31 January 2017, Bekwarra with the exercise holding at St. Christopher’s Primary School Abuochiche.
Obudu will take its turn from Wednesday February 1 to Friday February 3, 2017 at St. Stephen’s Primary school, Obudu while Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 February 2017 is for Obanliku with the exercise holding at Central Primary school, Sankwala for the northern senatorial district of the state.