By Oji Favour
There is palpable agitation among public primary and secondary school teachers in Abia State over an alleged demand for N5,500 payment into a private individual’s account for the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) asset declaration exercise.
The teachers, who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimisation, told *Newsbuka* that the directive was communicated by some Principals in Aba and Ukwa West, mandating them to converge at Abayi Girls and Obehie Central Schools for the exercise.
According to them, teachers in Umuahia have also been asked to undergo the same process but without any fee attached, a development which has heightened suspicion.
They questioned the rationale behind paying money into private accounts for a statutory federal exercise and called on the Abia State Government to clarify the issue.
Some of the teachers argued that asset declaration is an exercise they undertook under previous administration, stressing that governance is a continuum and due process must be followed.
Checks by Newsbuka revealed that while CCB asset declaration forms are officially free, those in the mainstream Civil Service only paid N2,500 for printing of the form, and the money was not paid into any private account but paid to print the form themselves.
Newsbuka obtained broadcast messages where teachers were directed to pay N5,000 into a private FCMB account and an additional N500 cash on the day of collection, bringing the total to N5,500. Details of the account and the phone number of the said coordinator are withheld for ethical reasons.
Efforts to get clarification from the CCB office at School Road, Umuahia as at press time proved abortive, as the office was closed due to the public holiday to mark Nigeria’s Independence anniversary.
Meanwhile, some of the affected teachers told Newsbuka they had already complied with the directive for fear of sanctions.
Alleged Extortion: Abia Teachers Raise Alarm Over N5,500 Fee for CCB Asset Declaration
