Amaechi accused of treating Rivers teachers unfairly

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers State Chapter, says the refusal of Gov Rotimi Amaechi to effect the promotion of qualified teachers who have been duly interviewed for that purpose further demonstrates his insensitivity and neglect of the plights of Rivers Civil Servants.

The party in a statement sent to SHOWBIZPLUSng says its attention had been drawn to the fact that Teachers who were due for promotion since 2009 and attended promotion interviews since November 2012 were yet to be promoted accordingly by the Governor Rotimi Amaechi administration.

This, to the PDP, is unhealthy and an obvious stance by the government to frustrate the teachers and also puncture effective academic activities in the State.

It is unreasonable and absolutely unethical that teachers will not be encouraged by their promotion, and their capacities enhanced by their employer (the Rivers State Government), which has on the contrary filled the airwaves with claims of responsive actions by the Governor aimed at improving the Education sector in the State. The Party notes that the non promotion of the teachers by the government negates its averred priority in the sector.

Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party is of the view that the education system in the State is at the verge of total collapse in view of the government failure to offset the several months salaries of the newly recruited teachers in Rivers State.

The Party disagrees with whatever excuse given by the government as being responsible for the continued delay in the payment of the teachers’ salaries several months after their engagement by the Rivers State government, calling on the Governor to urgently address the wrought in the education system with the promotion of the senior teachers and payment of salaries and allowances, and other entitlements to the new teachers and others alike. This, to us, will help in ameliorating the sufferings of the teachers and ensure that the pupils and students are given the necessary attention by their respective teachers, and further reassure parents of the seriousness of government in education.

In our view, building empty school blocks in parts of the State is not all we need to have the education sector improved, but equipping the various schools with teaching aids, books and library facilities, laboratory and science equipments, paying the teachers accurately and as at when due, as well as providing other basic enhancement packages, including timely re-training and corresponding promotion of the teachers will better demonstrate such claims of prioritized attention in the sector, and these are what we urge the government to do urgently and commitedly.

PDP alleges that the Rivers State Government is broke, following daily huge withdrawals from the State Treasury for the funding of the All Progressives Congress, APC’s activities within and outside the state, to justify his quest for a Presidential ticket, which has promoted the state chapter of the APC to call for zoning of the APC Presidential slot to the South-South.

The PDP further confirms moves by Governor Amaechi’s return to the PDP if he fails to secure the APC Presidential ticket.

“Amaechi and his supporters are currently jittery over uncertainties in the APC”, PDP insists.