After promising to verify documents before effectuating payments of salaries to teachers in Kenema, who say they’ve not been paid years of salaries owed to them despite being Pincoded, the Teaching Service Commission successfully carried that verification process, an official tells TV-News24 Thursday.

The verification process was done last Wednesday.

TSC last week – via Abdul Karim Vangahun, coordinator of the government’s Free Quality Education project in the east – said problems regarding unpaid salaries of Pincoded teachers will be addressed in October.

TSC National Chairman Connad Sackey placed the delay in paying the salaries of teachers to discrepancies in the data – though not entirely.

“The Sierra Leone Teachers Union has contacted me with about 800 teachers after their sensitization with Pincodes without salaries. We asked them to provide their database which they did, but we got a total of about 400 certified Pincoded teachers across the country,” Sackey said.

Sackey explained that those who’ve been verified, with all of the required documentation “will start receiving their salaries in the month of October.” But issues with those who’re yet to be verified because of discrepancies with their paperwork, will be addressed later – not now, because of time.

“Hence, we want no delays for verification process,” the national chairman said.

TV-News24 had recently spoken to more than 20 aggrieved Pincoded teachers regarding issues surrounding nonpayment of their salaries. After which, this reporter contacted several government agencies – directly responsible for the payment of salaries to teachers.

With that, Sannoh Foday, chairman of Concern Teachers, expressed gratitude to the media particularly TV-News24 – for the progress being made towards paying them their unpaid salaries.

“We are happy for the verification process. And we hope to start receiving our salaries by October 2021, as stated by the national chairman for the Teaching Service Commission,” Foday says.