Education Commissioner Tackles SAs, Says “They Lack Powers to Close School, Transfer or Sack Teachers

By Charles Nwankwo

Commissioner for Education Dr. Onyebuchi Chima has frowned at the situation where some SAs on school Monitoring take the law into their hands by ordering closure of some schools, transfer or Sack some teachers without reference to Ministry of Education, describing the action as an embarrassmrnt that shows lack of knowledge of the profession and lack of knowledge of procedure.

He stated this in a brief meeting he had with the State Education Stakeholders in his Office at Centenary City Abakaliki.

Dr. Chima said that any issue that requires disciplinary action should be reported to the ministry where appropriate department within the ministry will take the necessary steps.

The Commissioner pointed out that he had received calls from the national dalies that a particular state official in school Monitoring has sacked about 5 teachers.

He further stated that Government of Ebonyi State knows of the so many mushroom schools in the state which SAs on school Monitoring are helping the Government to harvest to ensure they operate within the law

Dr. Chima redirected the SAs of their primary assignment, noting that their duty is to monitor school activities and report to the Ministry for necessary action that due process must be followed, not to bastardize the effort of the Executive Governor who has appointed so many hands to work together towards improving standard of Education in Ebonyi State.

The Commissioner who said that the Ministry of Education will no longer condone unorthorized action taken by any SA on school Monitoring, implored them to work as a team with the Ministry of Education to achieve the policy and programmes as well as the project of Ebonyi State.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Citizens’ Advocate Newspaper, the SA to the Governor on Primary Education, Barr. Uche Achi Okpaga said that if some SAs on school Monitoring did such things, they did it in errow.

Barr. Achi stated that when a right thing is done in a wrong way it becomes wrong, adding that if there is any SA or EXCO member on school Monitoring who has done that, it was a zeal to see that things are done the right way not knowing that he/she was following the wrong way.

Barr. Achi expressed optimism that the Hon. Commissioner for Education will take care of the issue as he has taken further directives on the matter.

Barr. Achi advised people involved not to panic as the Ministry will take care of the matter properly.