Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, has ordered the immediate re­tirement of the suspended Executive Secretary of the state Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) Executive Secretary, Law­rence Ogbonna.

Governor Okezie had last month instituted a committee to probe the sup­posed employment without waiver at the SEMB.

The governor’s order was contained in a state­ment by his Chief of Staff, Dr. Anthony C.B. Agbazue­re, on Wednesday and not­ed the submissions of the committee to the effect that out of the 5,853 people said to have been employed be­tween 2018 to 2020, only 187 were employed with waiver, leaving 5,666 people as em­ployed without waiver.

It said: “That, in case, any of the 5,666 people em­ployed without waiver, was asked to start work by any­body, such a person should stop forthwith, having been so employed unlawfully.

According to the release, schools that have need for teachers in some special areas should make their submissions to the Com­missioner for Education and copy the Chief of Staff to the Governor.