Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State yesterday ordered the immediate sack of two officials of the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) over delay in the payment of teachers’ salaries. The affected officials are the Director of Finance and Administration (DFA), Elder Joseph Ogunkanmi and the Finance Officer of Egbeda Local Government Education Authority, Mr. Mustapha Olajide.
The governor announced their sack at a meeting held with officials of SUBEB, state Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), the state wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and teachers across the state at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan.
The governor who called the meeting for the second time within one week, was enraged over the delay in the payment of teachers’ salaries despite the introduction of e-payment system and his directive that their salaries and those of other civil servants should be paid on or before the 25th of every month.
He was particularly alarmed that some SUBEB officials had been conniving to frustrate the e-payment system, shortchange the teachers and defrauding the state.
“Some people are trying to frustrate our e-payment system. We will not take it. Nobody can be feeding fat on the suffering of others. We will not allow that,’’ the governor said as he ordered that the two officials be relieved of their duties, stating that he was not convinced about their explanation for the non-payment of the teachers’ salaries.
He also lampooned them for manipulating the accounts of some of the teachers, thus denying them access to their salaries.
“Whether by omission or commission, those making things difficult for us will not be allowed in the system. By the grace of God, we will deal with them,’’ the governor said.
Sen. Ajimobi also directed all the schools whose teachers’ salaries were yet to be paid to be reporting at the ICT Centre in the governor’s office until all the outstanding salaries were paid, promising that latest by next week, all the affected teachers would have been paid.