The Cross River State Government has warned chairmen of the 18 local government councils against defaulting on teachers’ salary payments, stressing the need to prioritise prompt and regular payment to boost productivity in the education sector.
Commissioner for Education, Prof Stephen Odey, issued the warning during an interactive session in Calabar on Tuesday with the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), local government chairmen, and education ministry officials.
He emphasised that regular salary payment was vital to sustaining teachers’ commitment and efficiency in the classroom.
“No matter how small the salary may be, if it comes regularly, it becomes very important,” he said.
Prof Odey referenced a Supreme Court ruling mandating local council chairmen to prioritise teachers’ salaries, explaining that teachers’ wages are now included in the statutory allocations received by councils.
The commissioner recalled that during his tenure as SUBEB chairman, the board recorded significant achievements because teachers were paid promptly.
“I worked with an ICT expert to develop an app that allowed me to monitor salary payments from my office. With one click, I could see which teachers had been paid. This helped ensure banks released salaries on time,” he said.
He said the board’s efficiency during that period raised teachers’ morale and led to a marked improvement in productivity.
“Direct your account directors to ensure teachers receive their salaries before the end of every month. Don’t leave their fate in the hands of banks,” he told the chairmen.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Association of Local Government Chairmen and Chairman of Yala Council, Mr Yibala Inyang, appealed to the state government to allow local governments the autonomy to recruit more teachers to address gaps in their education systems.
Solomon Azu, The Guardian
