East Sepik governor pledges to help teachers travel home for holidays

TEACHERS in East Sepik who have not been paid leave fares will be provided air tickets to travel to their home provinces, Governor Allan Bird says.
Bird made the commitment after meeting the teachers who turned up at his office after the education office did not pay their leave fares.
“I have further resolved to use the remaining travel funds in the governor’s office to help teachers from other provinces who have missed out in consecutive years to travel home,” he said.
“This assistance will be in the form of tickets only – no cash handouts.”
He urged teachers to find out what happened to their leave fares and if they suspected foul play, they should refer it to the fraud squad in the province.
“There is hope this will go some way towards alleviating the immediate issues faced in the province. We will begin with the installation of the new provincial education board next month,” he said.
“We will review the operations of the education division with a view to fixing the issues once and for all.”
East Sepik, West Sepik and Madang have been slow in paying teachers their leave fares this year.
The provincial governments have been tasked to address the matter.
Teaching Service Commission Mamose regional adviser Joseph Ouyoumb said teachers in East and West Sepik were still owed over K2 million by their provincial governments for their 2018 leave fare entitlements.