By Peter Okutu

ABAKALIKI—EBONYI State government, yesterday, said it has demoted four secondary school principals for what it described as ‘gross misconduct.’

The state Commissioner for Education, Professor John Eke, who stated this while addressing newsmen in his office in Abakaliki, added that the demoted principals demonstrated acts incon-sistent with their mandate.

He said the ministry was investigating the sex scandal rocking some schools across the state, adding that one lecturer in Ebonyi State University (names withheld) has been placed on indefinite suspension pending the outcome of the reports of sexual allegations against him.

According to Eke, “we have zero tolerance on sexual harassment on our children. There was a case in the university, where a lecturer was suspended. The ministry is now working on that.

“Similarly, the state government said it would ban teachers who were indicted in examination malpractices, for five years from supervising WAEC and other external examinations for their alleged involvement in examination malpractices.”

On the lingering ASUU crisis, the Commissioner described the union as illegal, adding that their tenure had long elapsed and chided the suspended ASUU leadership for misinforming other staff of the state-owned institution of the state government’s decision on the matter.