200 Anambra Head Teachers To Refund Workbook Monies Or Face Demotion

Executive Chairman, Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Chief Olisah Nzemeka have ordered no fever than 200 primary school head teachers in four local governments of Anambra State to refund monies collected from the sale of workbooks or face demotion.

Speaking with journalists in Awka, Nzemeka said the affected head teachers were in Idemili North, Idemili South, Nnewi South and Njikoka local government areas.

The ASUBEB chairman lamented the illegal sale of workbooks, stating that such payment had been suspended by the state Ministry of Education and the Board since 2017.

According to him, the head teachers were collecting as much as N2,200 per child.

Nzemeka explained that the state was running a free education system, adding that the actions of the head teachers amounted to serious breach of the principles of Universal Basic Education (UBE).

He said: “It is necessary to observe that some local government education areas and head teachers flouted government’s directive in the last academic year.

“This is total flagrant disobedience to government’s directive and will be addressed in line with the Public Service Rule.

“They must pay back all monies collected into their schools’ accounts; failure of which all the affected teachers will be demoted to the classrooms.’’

“We have over 1,000 primary schools in the state and the bad eggs are about 200; we cannot allow them to rubbish the efforts of government.

“We are a free education state and making parents to pay as much as N2,200 per child in the name of workbook, just because of the N10 they will get from each book, rubbishes the ideals of free education programme.

“Sale of workbook has been suspended since September 2017 and we are still investigating more cases of abuse of the order by our staff.”