The Senior Divisional Officer, SDO of Kupe Muanenguba, Mungambo Ekema William, has threatened to suspend the salaries of divisional delegates and service heads for prolonged absences at their duty post.
Mungambo was speaking on August 22, 2024 in a meeting with the Divisional Officer, Bangem, divisional delegates, service heads, sub delegates, principals of public schools, inspector of Basic Education and the forces of law and order.
The SDO lamented that there is no more crisis in Bangem and the town is peaceful at all times. “I want to see you in your offices daily. There are too many complains about delegates and service heads in this division”. He regretted.
The SDO then announced a routine visit to administrative offices in Bangem every Mondays and Fridays. “I will immediately write for the suspension of the salaries of workers not found in their offices. Enough is enough. The time for query letters is over”. He warned.
Mungambo was also bitter with delegates and service heads who were absent at the meeting without permission. He said since the SDO is too small in their eyes, the sledge hammer will begin with them.
Poor BAC and GCE Results
The SDO further inquired from the Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education, Kupe Muanenguba, what accounted for the poor results of Baccalaureate and the General Certificate of Education, GCE in the division last academic year.
He was worried that the Monday boycott of schools has a heavy toll on students. He encouraged parents to send their children to school on Mondays because they are losing a lot and this maybe the reason for the poor results.
In response, the representative of the delegate, Nkwelle Eveline Mesode disclosed that the blame is to be shared between parents, teachers and the students.
She said though teachers are doing their best, some of the students are very nonchalant to study. She said prior to examination period, parents were spotted going to the farm with students. She wondered how students could perform successfully with such situation.
Mesode was also worried that teachers are always in schools on Mondays but parents are refusing to send their children to school because they prefer to carry them to the farm.
The SDO insisted that parents are copying Monday boycotts from delegates and service heads. “We are the touch bearers in this division. The parents are watching at us. Once we are in our offices even on Mondays, parents will copy and start sending their children to school on Mondays”. He added.
Mungambo instructed the Divisional Officer of Bangem Sub Division, Dairou Saly to carry out routine checks to all schools in the Sub Division to fish out teachers who have abandoned their jobs for possible sanctions.
In reaction, the Divisional Delegate of Water and Energy, MINEE, Akume Ewang Jacob, thanked the SDO for the timely intervention on absentee staff. He said he has three Chief of Services who have boycotted their offices for a very long time and he is the lone worker in his delegation. The delegate lamented that another staff who was recently appointed to his office only came, took over service and disappeared.
By Olive Ejang
