MASS EXODUS AT POST PRIMARY EDUCATION BOARD AS DISGRUNTLED ENUGU TEACHERS RESIGN OVER ADMINISTRATIVE CHAOS AND FORCED TRANSFERS TO SMART SCHOOLS

A quiet administrative crisis has erupted across public secondary schools in Enugu State, leading to a massive wave of voluntary retirements, resignations, and early exits among senior educators and administrative staff under the Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB). The escalating exodus follows deep frustration over controversial educational policies enforced by Governor Peter Mbah’s administration, specifically the forced redeployment of secondary school teachers into primary-level Smart Green Schools overseen by the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB).

Distressed teachers and civil servants report that the state’s basic and secondary education structures have been thrown into administrative confusion due to overlapping mandates between PPSMB and ENSUBEB. Under the current arrangement, educators originally hired, deployed, and paid through PPSMB are routinely posted to smart schools managed under ENSUBEB jurisdiction, leaving hundreds of workers in professional limbo. Teachers complain that they are constantly posted back and forth between secondary institutions and primary-level smart schools, creating extreme stress and destabilizing their career progression.

​The chaotic administrative shuffle has severely disrupted the payroll system, creating intense hardship for affected personnel. Senior level 16 educators who spoke under anonymity revealed that because their primary employment files remain with PPSMB while they are forced to report to ENSUBEB administrators, automated payslip generation has broken down, forcing workers to navigate cumbersome, manual verification routines every single month. A female Level 16 teacher in a community secondary school lamented that senior educators face relentless pressure and intimidation from education board officials, forcing many veterans to seek immediate voluntary exit rather than endure humiliating administrative harassment.

Safety concerns and crumbling physical structures have further accelerated the flight of experienced personnel. A veteran Level 16 teacher who pleaded for anonymity shared that her family actively persuaded her to retire after visiting designated smart school sites, expressing horror over structural defects, lack of security, and compromised building integrity. The teacher warned that forcing aging educators into unsafe facilities under the guise of modern technology implementation has shattered morale, leaving teachers unable to deliver quality instruction in science, technology, or core subjects.

​Inside sources at ENSUBEB confirmed that both boards are struggling to manage the administrative burden imposed by executive directives. Insider accounts indicate that board management previously advised the state government to address manpower shortages by issuing employment letters to candidates who passed the 2024 Computer-Based Tests (CBT). Instead of finalizing new appointments, the administration suspended the recruitment results and directed the forced transfer of secondary and primary school teachers to plug gaps in the Smart Green School project. Stakeholders now warn that pushing exhausted, improperly deployed secondary school teachers into primary smart schools will accelerate the total collapse of educational standards across Enugu State, as demoralized educators leave the service in record numbers.