TheCable

David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi, has directed the immediate removal of all zonal education supervisors in the state over alleged fraud.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by Kenneth Ugbala, secretary to the state government, Umahi also directed that all education secretaries that were on leave should be removed from office.

According to Ugbala, the decision followed an emergency meeting between the governor and stakeholders in the education sector on how to improve the state’s education system.

The meeting reportedly held at the presidential lodge, new government house, Abakaliki.

The governor also directed that all teachers, headmasters and principals are to be reshuffled within their LGAs, and asked the 13 LGA chairmen to liaise with concerned authorities to carry out the directive.

“All the Education Secretaries that were on leave are to face disciplinary action to ascertain the level of their involvement in the fraud in our education system. Consequently, all the Education Secretaries that were on leave are hereby removed from office,” the statement reads.

“All Teachers, Headmasters and Principals (both Junior and Senior) are to be reshuffled within their Local Government Areas while Local Government Chairmen are to liaise with concerned authorities to carry out this directive.

“Zonal Education Supervisors are by this announcement removed from their offices.

“All Local Government Areas in Ebonyi State are to organise education and health summits to reevaluate our education and health systems and make useful suggestions on how to make the systems more functional. This will be coordinated by the office of Secretary to the State Government and Coordinating Commissioner from 1st July 2021.

“All the Headmasters and Principals of schools are hereby directed to ensure regular cleaning of their school premises and also, every pupil, student and staff member of each school are to plant at least one tree and this should be supervised by the 13 Council Chairmen in their various LGAs.

“All concerned must strictly comply with this directive.”

In another development, the governor suspended five permanent secretaries in the state civil service for six months over alleged lack of commitment to duties.

The governor said the affected permanent secretaries were those in charge of the ministries of health, education, communication, sports and solid minerals, and that they would be sent for retraining

“The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the commissioner for human capital development should organise six months training for them which I would sponsor,” he said.

“They should be taught what a permanent secretary is, how to prepare a memorandum, and how to take responsibilities in their ministries.

“The SSG and the acting Head of Service should identify ministries without permanent secretaries and fill such positions with the most intelligent official in such ministries.”

He noted that underperforming permanent secretaries would henceforth be demoted by two grade levels and disengaged from the system.