38 dead principals ‘still receiving salaries’ in Delta

Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta state, on Friday said 38 dead principals of schools and 15 retired teachers were still receiving salaries as substantive members of staff in the state.

Okowa made the revelation in Asaba, the state capital, at an interactive session with principals of government-owned schools in Delta.

He chided principals of affected school for feigning ignorance on the number of teachers who ought not to collect salaries but still getting entitlements.

He said the development had left the integrity of the principals in doubt.

“Investigations carried out by the government in Asaba and Agbor zones alone revealed that 28 strange names, 38 dead and 15 retired teachers were on the schools’ payroll,” he said.

“As heads of the schools, principals will be held liable for any fraudulent activity discovered in their schools.

“A principal is a position of authority and integrity, and we should care about our conduct. As principals, you should know the staff in your schools.

“I know that no principal will claim not to be aware of such names in their schools, yet they allow government to pay such salaries; this is fraudulent.

“The level of connivance is high for the names to still be in the payroll. Principals should know when persons are out of the system through retirement and death and pass such information to the relevant authority.

“I want to assure you that such fraudulent cases discovered will be appropriately dealt with and handed over to security agencies for prosecution.”

Okowa directed the principals to submit the nominal roll of their various schools to the office of the head of service.