Oyo govt defends sack of 7 lecturers - Appoints 1,086 new teachers
By Adebayo Waheed and Kehinde Adio - 24.09.2009

OYO State government, on Wednesday, defended the sack of the seven striking staffers of the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, saying it had nothing to do with the strike.

The Commissioner for Education, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, while briefing newsmen after the weekly state executive council meeting in Ibadan, said that government was not aware of the sack of the chairman of the Academic Staff Union of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, Mr. Babatunde Dosunmu.

He said that the governing councils of the state-owned institutions, had the responsibility to protect the interest of the over 17,000 students in the schools.

He said that government was aware of the events in Oyo, but said government was yet to receive report from the governing council.

While noting the institutions were autonomous, the commissioner said they did what was right in the best interest of the students and their parents.

According to him, the state government was not out to victimise any of the striking workers of the institutions.

He said the striking workers had resumed, while lectures had begun in earnest.

Meanwhile, the state government has approved N349 million for the construction of resource centres in seven local government areas of the state.

HOWEVER, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), on Wednesday, issued letters of appointments to about 1,086 teachers to join the public primary school teaching service in the state.

According to the chairman of the board, Professor Soji Adejumo, the new appointees were employed under the Federal Government supportive teachers scheme for the state, adding that they would serve the state for two years after which their appointments would be reviewed based on performance.

While presenting the appointment letters to the new teachers, Professor Adejumo stated that over 4,000 National Certificate of Education (NCE) holders applied for the job in the state, and were scrutinised and interviewed by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), in collaboration with the National Teacher Institute, before their appointment by the state government.

“So, their appointments were based on merit, irrespective of their states of origin,” he said, adding that the state government would treat them as full-fledged teachers in the state, as he urged them to put in their best and work as full-time teachers.







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