Corruption Rocks AK Public Schools …Teachers Forced To Pay For Promotion

Local Education Authority in Akwa Ibom State, a body charged with the responsibility to manage the affairs of public primary schools in various local government areas in the State is currently involved in massive corruption and extortion, The Sensor authoritatively gathered.

It was further gathered that teachers were forced to pay between N1,500 to N3,000 each for preparation of their 2011 and 2014 promotion arrears.

The corrupt practice which is said to involved all the LEAS in the State is much pronounced in Abak Local Education Authority, is said to have caused serious uneasy calm even as some of the affected teachers have abandoned their files following unsatisfactory explanation on why they should be forced to pay the money.

A source informed The Sensor that after an alarm was raised and State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, informed of the extortion, they were said to pay N1,000 for 2011 and N1,000 for 2014, making it N2,000 for just to prepare promotion arrears.

One of the affected teachers who gave his name simply as Mr. Otu, expressed anger over the extortion, saying that to pay the money was not a problem but the inability of the State Government to implement the payment since 2011 is the cause of his annoyance.

He disclosed that he had earlier paid money for working of his promotion arrears since 2014 but till date, nothing has been done. He added that despite being promoted twice, that is 2011 and 2014, he is yet to get salary that is commensurate with the promotion.

Otu described the latest extortion in the present economic recession as unfortunate and unacceptable, and called on the State Government to intervene.

When our reporter visited the Abak Local Education Authority for fact finding, a staff on duty denied the extortion. He, however, refused to make further comment saying that their office is not authorized to speak.