Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Crisis is looming in the educational sector in Bayelsa State over the rejection of deductions from salaries of secondary school teachers for the month of March.
According to investigations, teachers were jolted when they discovered there have been deductions from March salaries of secondary school teachers due to grades adjustment by the Post-Primary School Board (PPSB)
This led to an emergency meeting of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary School (ANCOPSS), Bayelsa State chapter, and after due consolations with the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) opted to reject the payment voucher, insisting that they should be paid the full salaries to avoid crisis.
Reports said the principals had stormed the PPSB in a peaceful protest to demand explanations from the board Chairman, Blessing Ikuru, on the reason for the deductions, but unable to meet her as she was not in the office.
They, however, held discussions with the permanent secretary of Ministry of Education who could not give a satisfactory answer, prompting the principals to insist that no school would collect the payment vouchers.
Checks indicated that the police command had invited the representatives of NUT to a meeting with the Commissioner of Police, to discuss the problems which the union honoured.