Delta State Government on Tuesday said it has cancelled the mass transfer of teachers in secondary schools purportedly carried out by the state’s Post Primary Education Board (PPEB), last week.

Patrick Muoboghare, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, said this on Tuesday, in a meeting with the management of the PPEB in Asaba,

He said that the cancellation of the transfer is with immediate effect.

It was learnt that the government’s action may not be unconnected with allegations of fraud that characterised the transfer process.

Mr. Muoboghare had in June said that all teachers in the 42 schools returned to their original mission owners would be transferred to other public schools in the state before the commencement of the 2012/2013 academic session.

The commissioner, who chided the board management over the sharp deals, said that the transfers were cancelled to check the activities of some unscrupulous persons who seized the opportunity to cheat some persons.

According to him, the decision was taken in the interest of the school system as unscrupulous persons have seized the opportunity of the exercise to blackmail and extort money from their victims.

“We have cancelled the transfers, because some persons have hijacked it and made it a money-making venture, collecting money from some persons to change their postings.

“At the appropriate time, we will transfer all the affected teachers to schools where vacancies exist and I am directing that everything about that flawed posting should be stopped till further notice,’’ he said.