Eight teachers of the Federal Government College, Otobi, in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, have dragged the former principal of the school before the Benue State House of Assembly over what they described as punitive deployment.
The teachers alleged that the former principal, Mr. Okengwu Dennis Igbokwe, masterminded their undue transfer to some crisis-prone states, claiming that he took the action due to? jealousy and revenge.
The deployed staff, six out of them singled out for transfer, are of Benue origin and had since reported to their new schools at FGC Ikot-Obion Ntong, Kiyawa, Zuru, Ahoda, Bajoga, Billiri, Daura and Ijanikin respectively.
The affected staff, in a petition filed on October 15, 2012 and addressed to the Speaker of the Benue State Assembly, Mr. David Iorhemba, a copy of which was made available to LEADERSHIP, yesterday, stated that sometime in June, 2012 there was an alleged sex scandal in the college involving the former Principal, Mr. Igbokwe and a female student of SS1B, aged 15 years.
The petition read in part: “The PTA Unit of FGC Otobi was the complainant in the case as contained in The Nation of July 3, 2012 and other national dailies. What amazes us is how we were singled and collectively connected with the issue to warrant a punitive re-deployment to the most crises-prone areas of the country.
“No financial cost is attached to our deployment; it does mean that someone else must have forged reposting forms on our behalf or is being mischievous. This amounts to a case of forgery; we therefore, demand a thorough investigation”.