Edo State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged Governor Adams Oshiomhole to begin the planned certificate screening of primary school teachers in the state, by presenting his certificate for verification.
In a statement today, the party said singling out primary school teachers for the certificate verification excercise was “discriminatory, punitive, vexatious and a witch-hunting of the teachers for daring to demand the implementation of their TSA.”
The statement was signed by the party chairman, Chief Dan Orbih.
For the certificate audit to gain credibility, said PDP, Governor Oshiomhole and principal officers in his administration, as well as officials in the ministries and parastatals, should first present their certificates for audit before talking about primary school teachers.
PDP advised, “Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.”
The party suggested that “an independent body of university dons be empanelled to screen these certificates as only an educated body like that will be able to tell the authenticity or otherwise of such documents.”
Even at that, said PDP, the planned certificate screening for primary school teachers is a smokescreen by a “broke” administration to lay off quite a number of them.
“Our party totally rejects Governor Oshiomhole’s victimization of primary school teachers this way and his attempts to conceal the self-inflicted financial deficit of the state by sacrificing the already-too-few teachers,” said PDP, stressing “(we) will not allow our teachers to be used this way.”
The statement continued; “It is also common knowledge that Edo State is broke, a consequence of the reckless spending on the part of government preparatory for the gubernatorial election of 2012, but that should not impact on the financial fortunes of state primary school teachers who did nothing to bring that about.
“A laborer is worthy of his wages and the diligent Edo State primary school teachers deserve remuneration and better conditions of service for the commendable job they do,” the party concluded.