Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, the Governor of Abia State, has ordered the compulsory retirement of the Executive Secretary of Secondary Education Management Board, SEMB, Lawrence Ogbonna, who was on suspension.

The governor also said that 5,666 teachers who were wrongly employed without waiver by the Secretary be dropped from the state’s employment register.

The Governor’s directive was contained in a press release by his Chief of Staff, Barrister Anthony Agbazuere, on Wednesday, after receiving the report of the Committee on the supposed employment without waiver at the Secondary Education Management Board, SEMB.

In the release, Governor Ikpeazu noted the submissions of the Committee to the effect that out of the 5,853 people said to have been employed between 2018 to 2020, only 187 people were employed with a waiver, leaving the rest 5,666 people as employed without the waiver.

“In case, any of the 5,666 people employed without a waiver, was asked to start work by anybody, such a person should stop forthwith, having been so employed unlawfully.

“Schools that have a need for teachers in some special areas should make their submissions to the Commissioner for Education and copy the Chief of Staff to the Governor.

“That whenever there is such need to employ teachers, the government shall take recourse to the list of 5,666 people for employment”.