Academic activities have been disrupted at the state primary schools I & II Olanada, in Port Harcourt, one of the model primary schools built by the Rivers State Government, as security guards of the school locked the gate, preventing the headmasters, teachers and pupils from entering the premises.

The Tide gathered that the chief security, Wachukwu Banabas, who claimed to have been employed by a security outfit, Hercules Company, said he was employed in April, 2011, and since them payment of his salaries had been a problem.

He said the security outfit had not paid him and his colleagues from June till date.

Mr Barnabas explained that he made telephone calls to the office of the Director of the security outfits, Mr Chibueze, but he would always tell them to wait.

According to the security guard, the situation had made them to borrow money to sustain themselves, adding that the money lenders have disgraced them even threatened to arrest them.

One of the guards, Mr Sunday Mike said that his landlord was threatening to arrest him over his inability to pay his rent, adding that before they locked the school gate, they informed the supervisor of the company, and he told them their normal words, “they should wait.”

Barnabas maintained that they decided to take such action in order to draw the company’s attention to their plight, adding that the gate would remain locked until they were paid.

The headmistress of the school, Edith Eweze said that the security men locked the school gate since last Thursday and no place for them to set examinations for the pupils.

Eweze said on Monday, the pupils were taken to the teachers’ residence to write their examinations, adding that such situation poses danger to their security.

She maintained that efforts to see the Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Nemi, proved abortive as she was advised to come back, and therefore called on Rivers State Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi to come to their aid.

One of the teachers, Mrs Blessing Amadi noted that the school was supposed to have finished examinations but lamented the delay due to lack of classroom.

She therefore appealed to the state government to wade into the ugly situation so that the children’s education would not be jeopardized.

Our correspondent gathered that the headmistress was directed by a community leader, to take the pupils to the community town hall to enable them conclude their examination while promising to call the attention of the owner of the security outfit.

Meanwhile, Rivers State Ministry of Education has denied owing the manager of the security outfit, that has failed to pay the guards.

The permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Richard Ofuru, told The Tide that the guards were under the employ of the contractor responsible for their salaries.

According to him, the contractor should pay the security guards immediately as they were performing essential and critical assignment and queried why he would not pay his staff when he had been paid by the ministry.

He said the model schools were open for academic activities, emphasizing that the challenge of workers hag been resolved in other model primary schools like the UBE Borokiri in Port Harcourt township.

He revealed that efforts made to open the gate of state school Olanada I and II proved abortive as the security guards insisted on their pay.

He appealed to parents, teachers and pupils to remain calm as government was taking measures to reopen the school for academic activities.