The Imo State government has vowed to rid primary schools in the state of ghost teachers who are collecting salaries they do not deserve.
The state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma made the vow on Monday at a meeting with heads of primary schools, teachers and staff of State Primary Education Board in Owerri.
He urged all the teachers to submit themselves for the verification and assist the government to get rid of ghost teachers.
He promised that genuine teachers will continue to receive their pay, adding that with the verification, those who have been left out in the past two years will be paid including their arrears.
Governor Uzodimma informed the teachers that government has decided to introduce the Clock-in and Clock-out System in the primary schools and offices as a way of monitoring truancy and commitment among the teachers.
The governor emphasized that his administration is poised to make public schools better than private schools hence his determination to encourage the teachers and to provide them with teaching aids for proper teaching and learning.
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Governor Uzodimma said he will not play politics with schools and education in Imo State because “the children are the future of the state, the politics of the APC, PDP or any other party should not be there problem, we must give them the best they deserve.”
He reiterated that he has come to correct the bad state of things he met on ground on assumption of office which include: providing light, water, good roads and accessible healthcare facilities as indices of prosperity.
He said the ideology of his administration is based on the fear of God, aimed at making the people happy. “I will be happy when my people are happy and this is my mission and angry when they are angry.”
Governor Uzodimma assured the teachers that the verification will guide his government on how to raise their pay as a way of mitigating the hardship everyone goes through in the State and the country at large.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Sylvester Okorondu, said the meeting was meant for data and physical verification capture for the teachers and staff of IMSUBEB.
He informed that the exercise will go a long way in removing ghost teachers from the payroll of government “as government is making efforts to ensure that her teachers are made comfortable through prompt payment of salaries, procurement of teaching materials as well as sufficient books for schools in the State.”
In her address, the Executive Chairman of Imo State Universal Basic Education Board (IMSUBEB), Dr. Ada Okwuonu, thanked the governor for assisting IMSUBEB to wear a new look.
She said the governor provided them with funds that made it possible for the establishment to come back to life through the restoration of power supply, water supply and renovation of the structures and offices of the board.
She also applauded the Governor for providing education materials to all schools including private ones in the state.
