Some newly recruited
teachers in the Rivers State school system may face sanctions having failed to take their jobs seriously, months after their recruitment.
This disclosure was made by the Chairman of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board, Sir Ali Oruitemeka during a meeting with head teachers of both primary and secondary schools in Port Harcourt.
According to him, the board had observed that some newly recruited teachers have allegedly refused to disengage from their former employment, noting that the situation had given rise to series of absecondment from duty by some of the newly recruited teachers.
The Board Chairman who cited the case of schools in Port Harcourt where 10 of the newly recruited teachers were not found at their duty posts, warned that the government would no longer condone such act.
He also warned the head teachers against colluding with some of the new teachers in their various schools to perpetrate truancy, stressing that such act would deal a big blow on government’s efforts at reviewing the state’s educational system.
According to him, the recruitment of the new teachers by the government was meant to serve dual purposes of providing teachers to teach children as well as reducing the rate of unemployment in the state.
He, therefore, directed the head teachers to submit a nominal roll of academic staff in their schools to the board.
Board member 1, Hon. Lucky Worlu in his speech urged those at the meeting to cooperate with the board to check all forms of deficiencies in the system.
In his reaction, the Chairman Conference of Principals of Schools, Mr. Okoro Messiah said that head teachers would not compromise on their integrity by aiding and abetting truancy.
He also alleged that some of the new teachers posted to some local Government areas were still keeping to their old job.
In his view, Dr. Idawari Brown of Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Finima, Bonny, urged the board to check its system as some of the new teachers were in the habit of claiming transfer from one school to another.

General Manager, Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Mr Celestine Ogolo, with Vice, Chancellor Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Prof. (Mrs) Rosemund Green Oshaogulu, during a launcheon organised by Nigerian Institue of Management, Chartered, Rumuolumeni chapter in Port Harcourt, last Friday.