By; VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
The Executive chairman, Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (Subeb), Dr. Stephen Odey, says it has saved over N70 million monthly for the state government following the startling revelation of 758 teachers with forged certificates in its employment.
He stated this while briefing newsmen on the ongoing personnel audit on primary school teachers in the state.
Out of this figure, 700 teachers were discovered to be ghost workers.
Odey, said the management and Board had worked tirelessly to arrive at these startling revelation.
The 700 unidentified persons are ghost workers who never existed but were captured monthly in the payroll.
Odey said “as a result the agency had introduced a biometric system in all the primary schools in the state”.
He said that the management and the board had recommended the demotion of those with forged certificates with suspension and non payment of their three months salaries.
According to him ” our findings were not based on hearsay, but based on facts as the claimed certificates were sent to the institutions where they acquired them”.
Odey said “four head teachers have been recommended for suspension and after serving the period , they stand to be demoted to teach in the class room”.
Inspire of all these achievements, he said, ” inadequate funding is affecting the agency and commended the governor for trying his best”.
The agency,he added, had taken over the payment of over 16,000 primary school teachers. We have their details and very soon the issue of teachers not been paid will be over.
He announced the state government had released it counterpart funds to enable it access the UBE funds credited to the agency account.
Odey said the agency is determined to construct a model school across the three senatorial district under the 2016 intervention scheme.
