Boniface Okoro in Umuahia
Abia State Government says it’s participating conventional rulers, Presidents-General and different group leaders to supply lodging for the newly recruited 4,075 lecturers posted to rural and hard-to-reach areas, whereas additionally providing a N30,000 incentive to those that settle for the postings.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, disclosed this in Umuahia throughout a press briefing to sensitise the Cohort 2 lecturers who’ve simply obtained their letters of engagement and posting, in opposition to the backdrop of complaints by the brand new recruits.
Ubochi mentioned the second batch of recruitment grew to become crucial after the deployment of the primary batch of 5,394 lecturers, as vacancies nonetheless exist in distant colleges, which is the essence of the second engagement.
He mentioned the lecturers had been knowledgeable from the outset and even signed a dedication that they’d be deployed to the place their providers are wanted, and subsequently shouldn’t anticipate postings to locations of consolation.
The commissioner acknowledged complaints from some lecturers posted to hinterlands, however insisted they have to first report back to their colleges, register their presence with the headteacher or principal, after which report again their challenges.
According to him, authorities underneath Governor Alex Otti is keen about lecturers’ welfare and doesn’t need a scenario the place a instructor spends greater than his wage to get to work, therefore the interface with communities and School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) for lodging.
He appealed to Presidents-General, conventional rulers and Abians in diaspora who personal unoccupied buildings within the hinterlands to launch even their boys’ quarters to accommodate the lecturers.
“We have also opened a help desk in the ministry. When they go to these places, we expect them to come back and report their experiences. Because when a teacher is not comfortable, he will not be able to deliver,” Ubochi mentioned.
On welfare, he disclosed that Governor Otti has accredited a further N30,000 incentive for lecturers serving in troublesome areas. “There is an additional N30,000 incentive that has been in the cooler waiting to be extended to those who take up this responsibility. As soon as they settle down, we’ll take their details and make sure that this incentive is extended to them.”
Ubochi mentioned the ministry expects suggestions from headteachers and principals earlier than the top of the week on lecturers who’ve reported, and urged the brand new lecturers to finish their onboarding at ASUBEB and SEMB inside this week and subsequent week to be captured within the payroll and obtain wage by finish of October as directed by the governor on Teachers’ Day.
He additionally reminded lecturers who retired underneath the outdated 60 years of age /35 years of service rule and are keen to return underneath the brand new 65 years coverage to report back to the Ministry for documentation and reintegration.
Responding to questions, the commissioner mentioned errors equivalent to posting secondary college topic specialists to major colleges can be corrected, including that the Ministry’s Quality Assurance models and satellite tv for pc workplaces in LGAs will confirm complaints and monitor truancy and connivance with college heads.
