Ebonyi State Government on Tuesday demoted three senior Secondary School Principals for alleged dereliction of duties. This is even as 10 teachers in the state would lose their December salaries for same offence. Chairman of the State Secondary Education Board (SEB), Dr. Uchechukwu Ezenyim disclosed this in Abakaliki. She said the punishment for the affected workers would serve as deterrent to others.

The SEB Chairman listed affected Principals to include Mr. Nwotolo J. N of Community Secondary School (CSS) Nzashi in Ikwo Local Government Area; Mr. Nweke C.J of Community Secondary School (CSS) Nkomoro in Ezza North LGA and Mr. Anyigor E.N of Community Secondary School (CSS) Okpoto in Ishielu LGA of the state.

The trio had been reported to the zonal office of SEB located at Onueke, in Ezza South LGA of the state, according to her. She, however, did not give the names of the ten teachers who were to lose their December salaries.

Ezenyim said: “The said Principals, three of them in number, during the just concluded first term examination were involved in non-challant attitudes toward their duties. “During our monitoring, we found that some of them were not complying with the rules and regulations guiding the examination.

“When we tried to enquire why they were not doing what they were supposed to do, they were giving us flimsy excuses. “But the major reason we decided to sanction them to serve as a deterrent to other Principals is that the concerned Principals are hiding some of the teachers who are believed to be having two jobs. Maybe, a Federal and a State job at the same time. “And His Excellency, the governor has been demanding to know those ghost workers.

“I wonder why a teacher will not be in school for two good weeks to three weeks and no report is given about the whereabouts of the said teacher. And when you try to ascertain from the Principal who is in charge of activities in that school, he/she won’t even give you a proper excuse on the movement of their teachers. “Therefore, we de cided to take this drastic measure on them, so that those who are hiding will come out and we will know them

The 10 teachers involved are to lose their December salaries. “While His Excellency is trying to rebuild our education system, they are there in the field drawing the state back. “Some of them are refusing the assistance that the Stakeholders in the communities wanted to give through their non challant attitudes.

Take for instance, the grant given to them for agric farm in their schools, because of His Excellency’s policy that every school would be producing what they would eat and they have been doing that, but some of the Principals are misusing that fund.” (New Telegraph)