Education boss apologizes to Bong citizens

Education Minister George Werner has apologized to the people of Bong County for the abrupt re-assignment of former Representative Samuel Bondo as County Education Officer.

The former lawmaker was appointed CEO for his native Bong, but recalled on the day of his inauguration to the disappointment of hundreds of well-wishers, who had waited for over four hours to grace the ceremony.

Education Ministry authorities said Bondo’s assignment to the county was an error because it is a standing policy at the ministry that County Education Officers should not take up assignment in counties of their origin.

During an education stakeholder meeting Tuesday in Gbarnga, Minister Werner said he was away from the country when the Human Resource Department appointed the former lawmaker without his consent, adding that as minister proper, he should have been aware of the appointment.

He told the education stakeholders that the appointment of Bondo to his home county has serious policy implications. Minister Werner disclosed that currently, there are about 6,000 teachers, who are on government supplementary payroll, while efforts are being exerted to have them included on the regular payroll.

He said as they try to clean up the payroll, a biometric exercise has commenced to identify teachers that actually in the classroom impacting knowledge. Meanwhile, some teachers in Bong County are commending Minister Werner for his vision to transforming the Liberian educational system.

They expressed optimism the new biometric process will enable those teachers reporting to work regularly to receive salaries instead of others, who they said, sit back and wait for month to end to go to the bank for salary, as well as ghost names on the payroll.

By Papa Morris from Bong – Editing by Jonathan Browne