Oyo State Government on Monday ordered the suspension of 13 primary school head teachers, two assistant head teachers and one classroom teacher for alleged extortion and misconducts.
It issued the directive through the Executive Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Nureni Adeniran, following an inspection tour of some schools in Ibadan metropolis.
Adeniran said that the government would not tolerate inequity and gross indiscipline among teachers, noting that the board suspended the erring teachers due to established facts met on ground at the schools they supervised.
He said besides the alleged illegal collection of fees from pupils, the teachers were also allegedly found culpable of insubordination and refusal to comply with posting instructions.
The SUBEB chairman, who stated that the suspended teacher would face a disciplinary committee set up by the board, said the committee had been mandated to ensure a thorough probe of the allegations and give all concerned fair hearing.
Adeniran gave the names of the suspended head teachers as Mrs. Agnes Amodu of IMG Primary School, Olubadan and Mrs. Janet Ayoade, who heads St. John’s Catholic Primary School 1, Eleta, who both allegedly refused to comply with posting instructions.
Mrs. Risikat Motunrayo Ogundele, the head teacher, Atolu Model Primary School 4, Oremeji was suspended for allegedly detaining a Primary 3 pupil at a police station.
Others suspended by the SUBEB for alleged illegal collection of fees were Mrs. Kehinde Oyediran and Mrs. Monsurat Olaniyan, head teachers at Community Primary School 1 and 2, Idi-Obi, Airport, Ibadan; Mr. Omotosho Michael; Mrs. Bilikisu Romoke and Mrs. Oyenike Damilola Adisa, head teachers at Community Primary School 1, 2, and 3, Sasa, Ibadan.
Likewise, head teachers of St. Paul’s Primary School 1, 2, 3 and 4, Yemetu, Mrs. Olukoga; Mrs. C.G. Lawal; Mrs. Simbiat Adewale and Mrs. O. F. Ogunbiyi were suspended for alleged illegal collection of fees.
The Head Teacher, IMG, School 1, Oje-Igosun, Mrs. Esther Oluranti Adeoye, was suspended for alleged illegal collection of fees. Her accomplice, an Assistant Head Teacher, Mrs. Romoke Ahmadu-Bello and a Primary 6 teacher, Mrs. Omolola Abobade were also suspended.
An Assistant Head Teacher, IMG School 2, Oje-Igosun, Mufudat Abioye, was also suspended for alleged illegal collection of fees.
The state government, after announcing free and qualitative education in May 2019, approved the payment of N526million as running grants to primary and secondary schools for the first term of 2019/2020 session.
The schools are expected to submit records of disbursements to the government at the end of each term.
The SUBEB chairman alleged: “It was during our tour of schools that we discovered failure of some teachers to comply with posting instructions, while some of them were collecting illegal money from the pupils, despite reiteration of the free education policy of this administration.
“So far, we have discovered that some saboteurs are among the teachers, who are flouting the state government’s directives and pulling down our efforts to sanitise the teaching system.”
The SUBEB chairman described the acts of the teachers as unruly, saying the government would set up a standing disciplinary committee to handle such misdemeanours.
“We discovered that the absence of supervision and monitoring of education activities in the state have given so much room for impunity and indiscipline. We will not allow this to happen henceforth.
“This will act as a deterrent to saboteurs among the head teachers. They should know henceforth that the government will not tolerate indiscipline,” he added.
Adeniran said the government’s stand to put a stop to quackery and indiscipline in the teaching profession still stands, adding that recalcitrant teachers must desist from illegal acts.
