….As Board Chairman says payment of gratuities has been prioritised under Umo Eno administration
…warns retirees against paying anyone to facilitate their benefits
The Akwa Ibom State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has introduced a toll-free telephone line, 08000078232, to enable retired teachers to report suspected extortion and verify information concerning their gratuity payments.
Chairman of the Board, Rt. Hon. Anietie Etuk, PhD, disclosed this on Monday, November 2, 2026, during a media briefing with journalists at the SUBEB office, State Secretariat, Uyo.
Etuk said the initiative was part of measures to address alleged fraudulent activities by individuals extorting retirees under the guise of facilitating their gratuity payments.
He disclosed that the Board had uncovered unethical practices involving individuals outside the “system”, allegedly working in collaboration with insiders, adding that investigations were ongoing to identify those involved.
According to him, the state government inherited a backlog of unpaid gratuities when the current administration assumed office, but Governor Umo Eno had prioritised the welfare of retired teachers.
He appealed to retirees not to give money to anyone promising to facilitate their payments, stressing that gratuity processing does not require payment to individuals.
Etuk explained that the toll-free line would allow retirees to contact the Board without having airtime on their phones, seek clarification and report suspicious demands for money.
“We have been on an advocacy for over two years, telling our retirees that if anyone calls them requesting money to help push their payment, they should not oblige but report or alert SUBEB immediately. Unfortunately, some still fall for the fraudsters,” he said.
He added that the Board had also undertaken internal administrative measures, including the transfer of staff from one department or duty post to another, to strengthen its monitoring mechanisms.
The SUBEB chairman further disclosed that he had taken direct oversight of gratuity payments to ensure accountability, noting that the Permanent Secretary would assume responsibility in his absence.
“With this, there is no payment made to anyone that we won’t know,” he stated.
On the payment schedule, Etuk explained that gratuity payments were handled annually, although special considerations could be made in exceptional circumstances, particularly on health grounds.
He said Governor Umo Eno was concerned about reports of retirees being defrauded despite the significant financial commitment of the administration towards settling gratuity arrears.
Reacting, the Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Nsibiet John, commended the SUBEB chairman for the engagement, describing such interactions as important in strengthening public confidence and demonstrating transparency in governance.
He urged the Board to sustain its public enlightenment efforts and called for the extension of the awareness campaign to churches across the state to further educate retirees.
The briefing was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Board, Dr. Roseline Mfon, Directors and other staff of SUBEB.
© Itoro Etti
