Edo To Set Up Panel To Investigate Schools

The Edo State Government in southsouth Nigeria, is to set up a panel to investigate and identify the number of primary and secondary schools in the 18 local government areas of the state.

The Governor of the state, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, made the disclosure on Wednesday when he received the executive of the state’s branch of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Benin, the state capital.

Oshiomhole said that the panel would identify the number of teachers and their status in various schools.

According to him, it has become necessary to carry out the audit in order to address lapses and mismanagement of funds.

He said that an earlier audit by the Information and Communication Technology Department of the Governor’s Office had revealed massive falsification of age by workers.

The governor said, however, that the issue of deduction of teachers’ salary did not commence recently but had been on since 1999.

Speaking on the complaint of paucity of funds by  local government councils, Oshiomhole said that councils must look inwards to see how they could generate revenue to augment their allocation.

He said that government had signed a memorandum of understanding with the local governments to enable the state government collect tenement rates from cooperate organisations located in their domains.

The NULGE executive led by its chairman, Mr Young Ilemikhena, cautioned the state government over full implementation of the 27.5 per cent Teachers Peculiarity Allowance to primary school teachers.

He argued  that any attempt to implement the allowance would have adverse effects on local governments councils.

Ilemikhena also said that the continuous payment of the sacked State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) staff was not acceptable.

He  advised the government against leaving the payment of primary school teachers’ salaries to local government councils, calling for staff audit of primary school teachers.

The chairman also frowned at the manner of deductions being made on workers’ salaries.