Imo Teachers Undergo Data Capturing Exercise Ahead Of Promotion

The Imo State Government has conducted a data capturing exercise for secondary school teachers across 27 Local Government Areas of the state.

Governor Hope Uzodimma, at the Capt. Ndubisi Kanu Square in Owerri on Thursday said the exercise followed complaints from the teachers that no secondary school teacher has been promoted since 2014.

“I called you here this morning to meet with you face to face. The reason is very simple, for the past ten years, there has been a lot of misunderstandings between teachers in Imo state and the various government that came before me as to the welfare of our teachers.

“Since 2014, none of the secondary school teachers have been promoted, storytellers have said, gossipers have gossiped, but all their handiwork will end today.”

According to Uzodimma, part of his government’s agenda was to create an enabling environment for teachers in the state to thrive.

He said that the exercise was scheduled to take place two years ago but due to COVID-19 lockdown, it was cancelled

“Are you a teacher in Imo state, listen, what is what doing is what doing well.

“We have seen that the teachers in Imo state are suffering, and one this government’s priority is for the teachers.

“The time we came, the meeting being held today is a meeting we were supposed to hold two years ago, but due to COVID-19, there was no way to gather a crowd like this.

“Any worker deserves his wedges. Will you take the wedges of a worker to one who is not working?.

“Why we are here today is because our children are suffering, because the moral of the teachers are low. We are here to fix it up so that the moral of the teachers will be high again so that our children will be happy.

“I’m pleading with you that you bear with for gathering you here today.

“What solves problems is not hearsays but face to face confrontation by the two aggrieved parties.”

The governor added that part of the problems facing secondary school education in the state was insufficient number of teachers.

“What we want to do is the teachers we have in Imo state are not enough, our children do not have enough teachers.

“Yes, things are hard but the necessary things need to be done, because if our children are not well taught, when to go outside, they indulge in whatever vices they see outside.

“Education, Knowledge is key and central. If we don’t train our children well, we are breading confusion and chaos for the society, If we train our children well, we want the society to be well.”

Governor Uzodinma revealed that the main reason for the capturing of the teachers is the sanitize the system which some ghost worker, earning salaries without working.

“We will promote those that are working. There are those that are answering names that they do not know the owners and they are using it to take salaries monthly.

“What you will help me do for is that, we have 27 canopies, positioned local government area by local government area, all the teachers here, why we called this meeting is to be sure that all the teachers teaching in the our secondary schools is present here today.

“Anyone who is not here today is not a teacher in Imo State secondary schools.

“It’s not good that people in the office gets their salaries while those in the villages do not.

The governor further said that the capturing and verification process will not be tedious.

“You will get your forms here, local government by local government, and you will be captured, the capturing is for the final nominal rule of secondary teachers in Imo state.

“After the capturing, we will use the data’s gotten for promotion, because when promotion is done, the salary will increase and those that will be paid are those there data’s were captured.

“We didn’t come here today for jokes, you should know what brought me out from my office to come supervise the procedure myself.

“I plead with you all, I only fear God almighty, I am not afraid of any man. If your salaries are not paid after your work, I will not sleep well at night.

“You have to try, local government area by local government area to get captured as you will not spend more than one hour here.”

Uzodimma promised to approve the promotions of teachers in the coming weeks and vowed to keep to his words.

He encouraged teachers posted to the villages to stop trying to influence their posting to the federal capital as the government will rotate the positing and will only entertain complaints on health or marital grounds.

“Whatever that is due for teachers so that they will be happy, by the grace of God, I will do it to make you happy.

“But please, anyone posted to the villages should not bribe his way to be reposted to the township, because my promise to you is that from time to time, there will rotation of teachers as that is part of their sacrifice.

“If we abandon the schools in the hinterland, children there will be suffering and God will not be happy.

“So anywhere you are posted to, you have to accept unless there is any reason, health cases or marital issues that may cause you not to go there has to be explained to your head which we may consider and give a weaver.

“My promise to you is that if you carry out your duties well, will fulfill my responsibilities too. Between now and the next few weeks, we will commence the promotion.”