…I’ll Investigate Allegations -SUBEB Chair
By Egufe Yafugborhi & Chioma Onuegbu
RETIRED Primary School Teachers in Akwa Ibom State have alleged being shortchanged in payment of their gratuities by the Accounts Department of State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, appealing to Governor Umo Eno to look into the issue.
Some of the complaining teachers, speaking to Vanguard Monday queried why anybody would want to defraud them now that God has used the current governor to start alleviating their suffering after many years of waiting for the gratuity withheld by previous administrations.
One of them, a sick retiree lamented that he was hoping when he received his gratuity, a little above a million, he would use part of the money for quality medical treatment but was distraught last week to realise that what he would now receive was cut by over N700,000.
He narrated, “Tuesday, October 31 when we went to SUBEB, they asked us to photocopy the form for the verification exercise we did in March 2021. In that form, they had stated what would be paid as gratuities.
“But when we submitted the photocopy to the SUBEB Accounts
Department, I discovered they now wrote a lower amount of money, instead of what I was supposed to receive as stated in the verification of 2021.
“When we asked why the amount was reduced they shouted at us, that if we didn’t want it we should leave it. I was supposed to receive about N5 million, but after last Tuesday they invited us the amount reduced to a little above N4 million.
“I contacted one of us who told me that when he saw his own, he made a lot of noise at the SUBEB and they corrected it. I observed that they are doing is if you retire at level 15, Step 9, they will cut it to 15 Step 7 to reduce the amount.
“However we noticed some people didn’t tamper with their own. We are crying out to the governor because we believe he is aware of what is going on”
Another angry retired Primary School Teacher who also spoke on anonymity lamented, “The situation has been giving me sleepless nights. They invited us last week to come for upgrading but unfortunately, it turned out as downgrading’.
“When I saw my money was less than what I was supposed to be paid I felt sad. Many old men and women struggled to go to the SUBEB office. I need money because I have so many problems. Another worry for some of us is the payment which is not followed accordingly.
“For instance, you will see some people who retired in 2013, and 2014 but are not paid whereas some who retired in 2018, and 2019 have received their gratuity. We want the governor to look into this also”
When contacted, the Secretary to the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) Akwa Ibom State Council, Obong Cosmos Essien, said, “Gratuities are worked out by Establishments and it is there in what is called “Authority to Collect Pension’. If somebody is given that, the amount is stated there and you are paid less, you should make formal complain about it”
Essien said though his office has not received any report regarding the issue, the union, he stressed, would discuss the matter during its meeting.
When contacted the State SUBEB Chairman, Anietie Etuk, acknowledged the need for more investigation to be carried out into the allegations.
Etuk, expressing willingness to find out probable cases of touting, stressed, “Because I cannot see why they had done the verification earlier, know how much they will be paid and then they came for another one (verification) and it is less.
“I am not in that department but I will find out. I assure you something that is done properly nobody can shortchange anybody. However, if somebody is ready to volunteer, give us adequate information that will help the Board to nip this in the bud we will be very happy”
Governor Eno has since being at the helm released a cumulative N4.6 billion in commitment to the steady settlement of arrears of gratuities of retired primary school teachers, local government workers and civil servants, a feat considered unprecedented in the annals of the state.
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