C’River teachers commend SUBEB over salary payment

Primary school teachers in Cross River have commended the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for taking over the payment of their salaries.

A cross section of the teachers spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Monday.

NAN recalls that before now, salaries were paid by local government councils, accused of being responsible for delays in payment of salaries.

Mrs. Hannah Okon, a teacher, told NAN that the initiative by the state government was in order, expressing hope that it would ensure prompt payment of their salaries.

“The takeover is good, provided we receive our salaries promptly,” she said.

Another teacher, Mr. James Ekanem, also expressed hope that the situation would enhance prompt payment of teachers’ salaries.

“We are the geese that lay the golden egg, but we are often relegated to the background.

So, if the new idea will guarantee prompt payment of our salaries, then it is a welcome development,” he said.

Mr. Lawrence Agba who has retired from teaching, also commended the state universal basic education board for the initiative, but with some reservations.

“It is a good idea but the problem had always been the availability of funds for the local government councils, whose responsibility it is to cater for primary school teachers,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr. Godwin Ayende, the State President of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), said that the takeover of the payment by SUBEB was a step in the right direction.

Ayende said it was better for the state governments to bear the responsibility of paying primary school teachers’ salaries instead of the councils.

He said: “It is good; after all SUBEB employs and supervises the teachers. There is no reason why it should not pay the teachers. I believe this will curb corruption in the system.

“What we are saying is that the federal or state governments should take over the responsibility of funding the primary schools rather than local governments.

“It does not matter to us who pays the teachers because the money still comes from the local government allocations for now.”

NAN recalls that SUBEB took over the payment of primary school teachers in the state, following their strike action over persistent non-prompt payment of their salaries.

Dr. Stephen Odey, the Executive Chairman of SUBEB in the state, said the measure was to sanitize the primary school education system in the state.

Odey also described the action as part of the state government’s efforts to fish out fake and ghost teachers in the system.

“The wage bill of primary school teachers in the state has remained static over the years even when many have retired from service or died,” he said.