Lift embargo on employment of teachers, Imo Assembly tells Uzodimma

Imo State House of Assembly, yesterday, urged Governor Hope Uzodimma to lift the ban on employment of primary and secondary schools teachers in the state.

The House also appealed to Governor Uzodinma to approve and issue waivers to the state Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to enable them to recruit qualified teachers.

It argued that this would address the dearth of teachers in the state’s school system and enhance effective teaching and learning in the state.

This followed a motion moved by the representative of Ideato North, Arthur Egwim, on the floor of the House.

Presenting the motion, Egwim said the dearth of teachers in the state was overstretching the few available ones who he said, were forced to go against the professionally approved teacher-pupil ratio and the number of periods daily for each teacher.

He said: “There are many eminently qualified teachers roaming the streets due to lack of employment and who are ready to contribute their quota to alleviate the situation, if they are offered employment in our school system.

“The abnormal situation in our school system could downgrade educational standards and productivity, and also put the future of our children and generations yet unborn at risk.”

Contributing to the motion, Uju Onwudiwe (Njaba), Chigozie Nwaneri (Oru East), and Dominic Ezerioha (Oru West) described it as timely, commendable and in the overall best interest of the state.

They stressed the need to sanitise the educational system in the state and ensure proper data collection of existing teachers with a view to ascertaining the categories and number of teachers that should be employed to compliment the existing ones.

They also canvassed increment in salary of teachers in the state, stressing that it would help to make teaching professional in the state lucrative, interesting and more appealing.