Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has compulsorily retired the Executive Secretary of Secondary Education Managing Board (SEMB), Lawrence Ogbonna over alleged employment racketeering. Ogbonna had been on suspension since the incident blown open.
 A release by the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the governor, Anthony Agbazuere said Ikpeazu’s action was sequel to the report of the committee on the supposed employments without waiver at the Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB).
“The Governor has equally 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 waiver, leaving 5,666 people as employed without waiver”.
Based on this fact, the Governor according to the release directed that Ogbonna be retired compulsorily with immediate effect.
Government equally directed all the 5,666 people Ogbonna employed without waiver, to stop work forthwith, having been so employed unlawfully.
The released requested  schools that have need for teachers in some special areas to make their submissions to the Commissioner for Education and copy the Chief of Staff to the Governor.
Abia government however promised that whenever there was need to employ teachers , government shall take recourse to the list of the 5,666 people for employment.
The release did not in any way stated if the retired SEMB Executive Secretary would be prosecuted.