By Solomon Okon Calabar
Palpable fear now pervades schools in Cross River State as the new chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Rev Esu Effiong Esu has announced plans to weed out ghost teachers across the 18 local council areas of the state.
The new board chairman disclosed this while interacting with newsmen in his office in Calabar Monday.
“This is a new SUBEB and the impact will soon be felt. In terms of staff discipline, we will up our game. We are aware of the problems where some people don’t even go to work but they’re earning salaries. I will ensure that I get down on this matter.
Having served as a member of the technical education board for 5 years, Esu, the newly appointed executive chairman of the board, believes that his experience provides him with valuable insight into managing a school board effectively.
“I will ensure that we move to schools and reduce the ghost workers because we are aware that they exist.”
He noted that the goal of the board is to make a significant impact with the 2024 intervention by renovating and constructing new schools.
“What I met on ground was about 49 jobs, these jobs also included supplies of books and equipment. So for this particular year, it’s going to be about double of what was done last year, so there’s going to be a greater impact and greater reach to more schools across the state. We are targeting about 100 jobs compared to last year when we had 49 jobs.
He thanked Governor Bassey Otu for making this possible by giving approval to the sum of ₦3,554,642,584.46 only as Cross River State counterpart fund for the 2024 Federal Government Statutory Allocation for the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) Matching Grants to the State.
“Very soon, you’ll be hearing a jingle sponsored by SUBEB in every major language in Cross River; Efik, Bekwarra and Ejagham, encouraging parents to ensure that the children are in school not to cause them to become hawkers while their friends are in school.”
The chairman pledged to improve the state’s educational ranking, aiming to elevate it from its current level of disadvantage to the top position.
“We know that Anambra state occupies the number one position in academics in Nigeria, so we want to change the narratives and rewrite that history. Cross River is aiming at the top spot and for us to do this, we need to ensure that all hands are on deck.
“Not just encouraging our children to be in school but also making sure that infrastructural development is taken to the point where our schools can compete with others in other parts of the state. We want to improve the enrollment and the infrastructure.”
Esu further expressed dissatisfaction with the low ratio of teachers to pupils and pledged to address this issue during his time as the executive chairman.
