Boniface Okoro in Umuahia
Abia State Government says it is engaging traditional rulers, Presidents-General and other community leaders to provide accommodation for the newly recruited 4,075 teachers posted to rural and hard-to-reach areas, while also offering a N30,000 incentive to those who accept the postings.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, disclosed this in Umuahia during a press briefing to sensitise the Cohort 2 teachers who have just received their letters of engagement and posting, against the backdrop of complaints by the new recruits.
Ubochi said the second batch of recruitment became necessary after the deployment of the first batch of 5,394 teachers, as vacancies still exist in remote schools, which is the essence of the second engagement.
He said the teachers were informed from the outset and even signed a commitment that they would be deployed to where their services are needed, and therefore should not expect postings to places of comfort.
The commissioner acknowledged complaints from some teachers posted to hinterlands, but insisted they must first report to their schools, register their presence with the headteacher or principal, and then report back their challenges.
According to him, government under Governor Alex Otti is passionate about teachers’ welfare and does not want a situation where a teacher spends more than his salary to get to work, hence the interface with communities and School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) for accommodation.
He appealed to Presidents-General, traditional rulers and Abians in diaspora who own unoccupied buildings in the hinterlands to release even their boys’ quarters to accommodate the teachers.
“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 said.
On welfare, he disclosed that Governor Otti has approved an additional N30,000 incentive for teachers serving in difficult 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 said the ministry expects feedback from headteachers and principals before the end of the week on teachers who have reported, and urged the new teachers to complete their onboarding at ASUBEB and SEMB within this week and next week to be captured in the payroll and receive salary by end of October as directed by the governor on Teachers’ Day.
He also reminded teachers who retired under the old 60 years of age /35 years of service rule and are willing to return under the new 65 years policy to report to the Ministry for documentation and reintegration.
Responding to questions, the commissioner said errors such as posting secondary school subject specialists to primary schools would be corrected, adding that the Ministry’s Quality Assurance units and satellite offices in LGAs will verify complaints and monitor truancy and connivance with school heads.