..SEMB Officials Panic, May Be Summoned
By Okey Alozie
Aggrieved Teachers and principals who felt to have been unduly and forcefully retired from service, have protested against Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB)
Information revealed that series of petitions and complains against SEMB are now before the Imo house of Assembly and it is most likely that the Executive Secretary and other Top officials of SEMB may appear before the house for interrogation.
Recently over 70 principals and teachers in Imo state got their retirement letter from SEMB. Good number of the effected teacher claimed that they were unduly retired by SEMB, adding that SEMB was selective on the retirement issue.
The aggrieved teachers and principals complained to their umbrella body (ANCOPSS) and ANCOPSS raised eyes brow on the issue and later took the complains and protest to Nigeria union of teachers(NUT) and thereafter the matter got to the house of assembly. Good number of Victims of the alleged undue retirement as we gathered, took their first school leaving certificate of education in 1976,1977 and 1978.
While narrating their ordeal in the hands of SEMB top official, the aggrieved principals and teachers regretted why the retirement should be based on selection. They alleged that there are good numbers of principals who took their F.S.L.C.E 1974, 1975 and 1976 and are still in the system up till now. According to them those who have relationship with SEMB top officials were not touched in the mass retirement.
The aggrieved teachers and principals maintained that they supposed to benefit from the service elongation initiated by the federal government and domesticated by the state house of assembly.
It could be recalled that Imo state house of assembly led by Right Hon CHIKE OLEMGBE last year passed a bill domesticating the 65 years of age and 35years in service for the retirement of teachers and the bills was passed and signed into law by the governor of Imo state Dist. Senator Hope Uzodinma. However, the commissioner for education (primary and secondary) Prof. Johncliff Nwadike during his speech on Saturday 5th of October2024 at teachers house located along owerri PortHacourt road on the occasion of teacher day celebration, disclosed that 48 teachers who were retired in error have been reinstated, adding that those who doctored their original documents will not get any favour and should not think of any reinstatement at all. The concerned Imolites who spoke to our roving reporter on this issue want the house to summon the Executive Secretary of SEMB and other top officials to ascertain the truth and to know how the mass retirement came up. It could also be recalled that some principals recently wrote a protest letter against the Executive Secretary of SEMB over their demotion to class room teacher. Many teachers and principals right now are shading tears over alleged high handedness, harassment, intimidation and extortion by SEMB as we further gathered.
