By Okey Alozie.
Even as the Commissioner for Education,Imo State Prof John Clifford Nwadike has not come out openly to pronounce sanctions against some Principals that were recently demoted for being involved in some sharp practices ,yet the news on demoted school Principals have gone viral. information revealed that the Executive Secretary of Imo State Secondary Education Management Board ,Mrs Augustina Azubuike last week stormed Ikenegbu Secondary School Swerri to demote the Principal In charge of senior secondary school section.Mrs Queen Billy Nwoko over alleged payment for West African Examination Council Examination (WAEC) runs.
Story has it that students of Ikenegbu Girls secondary school allegedly organized for help in the ongoing WAEC Exams .
The students according to our source allegedly paid #1000 Each for the English Exam which was taken last week Wednesday.
SEMB boss and the Commissioner got wind of the payment in the school by the students.
The Principal was later invited for interrogation at the Commissioner’s office and she went there and denied taking part in any form of the Examination malpractice or payment for any kind of help to the student taking WAEC Exams in her school.
she how ever accepted hearing of the plan made by students to contribute money for their supervisors and Exam invigilators earlier before now.
Our source went further to reveal that Mrs Nwoko before the commencement of the 2024 senior WAEC Exam in her school called all the candidates and warned them against payment for Exam runs.
Report has it that the Executive secretary stormed the school on her own few days ago to ascertain the truth at the exam hall.
After listening to some of the candidates she interogated,the Executive Secretary then announced that the Principal has been demoted to a classroom Teacher. This pronouncement sparked alot of controversy of which the teachers and students of that school are now divided into two groups.
Some parents and students are now defending the Principal saying that she was not part of the Exam bribe arrangements.
A particular parent who did not want his name to be mentioned on print submitted that the verbal demotion of the Principal before the students and visitors is very wrong adding that a special panel should set-up to ascertain the truth.
Some concerned imo lites who also spoke on the issue described what happened as an internal arrangement that is also happening in many other secondary schools in Nigeria.
Therefore “the Principal should be pardoned”.
On the contrary, an Education expert want the Commissioner and perm SEC of Ministry of Education, to step into the matter and conduct proper investingation before ppunishing the Principal in question.
Principal of Orji Secondary School and that of Iyishi secondary school were also demoted .
