UNITED BY FRAUD: COUNCIL BOSS; NUT AND BANK LOOTS N288 MILLION NAIRA SUFFERING TEACHERS SALARIES

Eneh John

Fraud is the game; Council boss; NUT and CRUTECH Microfinance bank are the names that have continued the looting spree of teachers’ salaries in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State.

Secrets Reporters investigation shows that, the Chairman of Biase Local Government Area, Mr. Enebiene Ndem Ana has since his assumption of office as the chairman of council, been deducting between two thousand naira (N2,000)and three thousand naira(3,000) from the salaries of teachers in the local government on a monthly basis after the deduction of NUT dues and Pay As You Earn(PAYE) from the state NUT and state government.

The chairman of council is not alone in this, as our findings also reveals that the chapter chairman of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in Biase Local Government, Mr. Arikpo Ojah is also a culprit in this act of fraud as he is said to connive with the Biase Local Government boss to loot teachers’ salaries outside the NUT dues deducted from their salaries. It is on good authority that, we can report that, it takes the teachers over two to three weeks to get their salaries after it has been paid by the state government, as Enebiene is alleged to be having a private account where the money goes into a fixed deposit to generate interest for him before the teachers are been paid.

Our further investigation unraveled more facts to the stealing as the number of teachers ranked above one thousand teachers in the local government. One of our very reliable sources who spoke with our medium when our team arrived the Local Government, said, “The salaries continue to deplete thereby putting untold hardship on their meager salaries.

This deduction is done from their Net salaries after tax.

The only Bank we found in the local Government who is not left out in the fraud mess, is the CRUTECH microfinance bank who connives with the NUT chapter chairman and the council boss in denying the teachers their salaries when due.

It has been confirmed that CRUTECH microfinance bank takes a monthly deduction of nine hundred and fifty naira only (N950, 00) which they claim to be minimum balance every month.

One of the teachers said, “The bank will deduct (N950) this month, for minimum balance, the following month when salaries are paid, the old N950 will disappear and they will take another N950 as another minimum balance. Meaning that, for each month, they keep taking minimum balance from teachers’ salaries which the practice has been going on for years.”

One of the teachers also complained that, the bank charges one thousand five hundred naira(N1,500) for 25pages of withdrawal booklet as against the (350) which commercial banks charges their customers.

Efforts to speak with the state NUT chairman, Mr.Eyo Nsa and the Council Boss was not successful.