By Ehigimetor Igbaugba
Secondary school teachers in Cross River State have condemned an alleged directive by the State Senior Secondary Education Board (SSEB) compelling them to endorse the second-term ambition of Governor Bassey Otu.
The teachers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Wednesday that the directive was insensitive and reflected what they described as the government’s misplaced priorities.
They accused the state government of placing politics above teachers’ welfare and the development of the education sector, lamenting the poor state of public schools and lingering welfare concerns affecting teachers across the state.
According to them, many schools are grappling with inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of teaching materials and unresolved welfare issues, yet authorities were allegedly more focused on political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We have issues of unpaid salaries and allowances, a poor learning environment and a lack of teaching facilities in many schools, but the government appears more interested in politics than in fixing the education sector,” one of the teachers alleged.
Another teacher described the directive as “an unnecessary distraction,” insisting that teachers should not be pressured into partisan political activities while critical issues affecting the sector remain unresolved.
The teachers further urged the state government to devote more attention to improving the standard of education and to addressing workers’ welfare, rather than allegedly compelling civil servants to declare political loyalty publicly.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Information, Erasmus Ekpang, said he had not seen the circular allegedly directing teachers to endorse the governor.
“I can’t react to an issue when I have not seen the circular mandating such a directive,” Ekpang said.
