By Zik Gbemre
When days ago, I hit at the Delta State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) over the inciting discrepancies in recent payment of accumulated promotion arrears to primary schools teachers in the state, it wasn’t done out of ignorance of the fact that the engagement and remuneration of primary school teachers is a tripartite responsibility of all tiers of government, federal, state and local.
Focussing on the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) was apparently because it is the statutory tool by which these tripartite stakeholders collectively discharge their respective responsibilities at implementing government’s compulsory free basic education for the Nigerian child, especially the underprivileged.
It is very laughable that in failed desperation to discredit me and absolve self of involvement in the rip off on the teachers, a conceited Samuel Mariere as Chairman of Delta SUBEB indicted self more and dragged the shared corruption to rope in Local Government chairmen and the State Local Government Service Commission.
Turning it a blame game, Mariere who called, bragging as a self glorified lawyer, threatening to sue me would, in response to my reflection on the matter, tell the SouthernVoice online news medium that, “The arrears was (sic) approved in JAAC by the Governor (Sheriff Oborevwori).
“And each of the 23 Local Governments (LGs) made their own calculations and paid. SUBEB was not part of it at all, so you cannot be corrupt at what you’re not part of.
It’s basically the 25 LG Chairmen that paid, we (SUBEB) are not part of it.
“We’re even saying it’s wrong. It’s wrong for a LGs to pay. It is supposed to be the duty of SUBEB to pay, by law. To me I am not happy about it because some of them (aggrieved teachers) have also complained to me too that they were shortpaid and we are looking at it. I even told the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) Chairman that the teachers are complaining.
“Well we are part of the system so it will be difficult for us to also complain because it’s normally the duty of SUBEB to pay salaries and arrears, but the LG Chairmen have refused to remit the money to SUBEB, so the money is with them. They’re the ones illegally doing it probably wanting to shortpay the teachers.”
In passing the blame, Mariere inferred that his principal, the Governor is aware and probably endorsed the impunity by the LG chairmen. He admitted that it is the duty of SUBEB to pay the arrears by law and the LG chairmen illegally usurped his function by hijacking the payment from the board.
So, for self important Mariere, corruption would have been only if he was involved in the shortchanging of the primary teachers. By abdicating his official duty as head of the statutory agency to take charge and allowing the LG chairmen carry out illegality, Mariere doesn’t know that it is sheer misconduct, corruption.
In his ignorance he has opened up how the fraud happened. So, the State Local Government Service Commission and LG chairmen connived to fleece the teachers. From the discrepancies, my home Ughelli South LG chairman never disappointed in leading in the shortchanging.
Ughelli South LG arguably paid the least amount as arrears among the LGs. I challenge Ughelli South boss to publish what was paid to the teachers and how he came about those figures and discrepancies through the Local Education Authority.
Consequently, the Governor must not also pay deaf ears. You must follow through and ensure the council chairmen vomit what they extorted from the primary school teachers.
For Mariere who is bragging as a lawyer and would sue, we are waiting. I wish his name was mentioned in our published petition. Am wondering if he is suing as Mariere or as SUBEB that we maintain is a cesspool of corruption for keeping mute over the illegal usurpation of its responsibilities by council chairmen and LG commission.
Perhaps, if SUBEB had done its work or raise the alarm when it knew LG chairmen were hijacking its statutory duty, the shortchanged teachers would have fared better.
Should he wants to sue as SUBEB, I hope he understands that as an agency of government, only the Attorney General can sue as Delta state government.
Mariere’s threat won’t deter us from demanding probe of the level of defrauding done by the LG chairmen, the LG Service Commission and why the Governor would allow such ripoff.
It cannot be business as usual. Those shortchanged teachers must be refunded their entitlements. Paying the arrears wasn’t a favour.
Till we hear from your lawyer, many thanks, Mariere, for giving strength to our call for serious probity on the shortchanging of Delta primary school teachers.
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