Commissioner Warns LG Chairmen Against Owing Teachers’ Salaries

Cross River State Commissioner for Education, Associate Prof. Stephen Odey, has warned chairmen of the 18 local government areas in the state to be weary of the consequences of owing teachers’ salaries. He called for priority attention to be given to regular payment of teachers’ salaries to boost teachers’ productivity.

Odey gave the warning during a brainstorming session with SUBEB chairman, chairmen of local government councils and the state Ministry of Education held in Calabar, yesterday.

He stated that payment of teachers’ salaries on regular basis is critical if they want the productivity of the teachers to be increased.

“No matter how small that the salary is , if it comes very regularly, it becomes so important,” he added.

He stressed that the judgement of the Supreme Court has made it mandatory for council chairmen to prioritize payment of teachers’ salaries on regular basis because money of teachers was lumped into accounts of council chairmen.

Odey averred that Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) recorded a lot of achievements when he was privileged to serve the board as chairman, stressing that the stride was possible as a result of prompt and regular salary payment.

“I consulted an ICT expert that developed an app for me to monitor payment of salaries of teachers. By mere click of a button in my office I will see all the salaries paid to the teachers on my dash board.”

He stressed that with that strategy, the board was able to cause the banks to live up to their responsibility of prompt release of funds to teachers rather than postponing cash release.

“There was nothing like carrying forward of salary payment from one month to another. That alone boosted the morale of teachers and we saw productivity of our teachers grossly increased.

“Ensure that your account directors fashion out modalities for salaries to be paid before the end of the month.

“Don’t allow the fate of your teachers only to banks to determine when salaries are to be paid.

“For us in the ministry ours is to formulate policies, that is why we are working tirelessly to ensure that things are done differently. I came with a lot of vigour”, he maintained.

In his remarks, chairman ALGON in the state and council chairman for Yala local government area, Mr Yibala Inyang, solicited for a free hand to be given to chairmen to engage more teachers.