Osun

Osun Teachers Recruitment: 5,000 Successful Applicants In Limbo

ByYusuf Oketola

PublishedJanuary 10, 2025

As Govt Plans To Integrate ‘Imole Youth Corps’

THE Osun State Government is yet to issue appointment letters to the 5,000 shortlisted candidates for the 2024 Osun teachers’ recruitment exercise five months after conclusion of interview.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER indicates that the situation has left many of the successful applicants in a state of uncertainty and also made learning difficult in many public schools in the state.

Recall that the Osun State Government had between Monday, September 9 and Friday 13, 2024 conducted interviews for the successful applicants. That was seven months after the screening examination.

The state’s Commissioner for Education, Adedipo Eluwole while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER in September 2024, promised that the successful candidates would resume to classes at the beginning 2024/2025 academic session. But nothing has been done till now.

The state commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi attributed the delay to the new minimum wage which has been approved by Governor Ademola Adeleke last December.

While the delay lasts, some unscrupulous elements have begun to send fake messages to some of the applicants directing them to check their portals from Monday, December 23, 2024 for an unmentioned purpose.

Reacting to the messages, in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, M.A Jimoh, the applicants were warned to disregard the message while describing it as handiwork of mischievous elements.

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The statement reads: “This is to inform the general public and the applicants for the teacher’s recruitment exercise in Osun State that mischievous elements are at work again through a trending forwarded message as received by my good self.

“The unscrupulous people claimed in the circulated “BREAKING NEWS” that prospective teachers should begin to check their portal from Monday 23rd December for an unmentioned purpose.

“Further, the statement stated that “accreditation starts after Christmas for resumption in January”. These are disarticulated stories and such did not emanate from the Ministry of Education.”

Commenting on the development, a resident of the state, Tunde Ademola urged the state government to do the needful to avoid further confusion and not to give unscrupulous elements room to deceive the applicants.

“Do the needful in time so that you won’t continue to give room for more unscrupulous people anymore. It’s high time you issue the successful candidates their appointment letter. You were saying it is because of minimum wage issue, now the minimum wage bill has been passed into law waiting for implementation this month.

“What are you waiting for. If one uses hundred years to rehearse for madness, when is the real madness come into reality. It’s high time you do the needful, January is here.” Ademola said

The Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Hon. Ibukun Fadipe has also said the delay in the recruitment process has been primarily due to the discussions surrounding the minimum wage.

In a statement by the Special Adviser to the SUBEB chairman, Kamoru Alesinloye, the government is prioritising the employment of qualified candidates from the ‘Imole Youth Corps’.

Fadipe promised that the appointments would be finalised before the end of first quarter of 2025.

The statement reads:”The government is prioritizing the employment of qualified candidates from the IMOLE Corp, aiming to integrate them into the teaching workforce. This initiative reflects a commitment to providing meaningful employment opportunities for Osun’s graduates, beyond just filling menial roles.

“The good news for hopeful teachers is that the SUBEB Chairman has guaranteed that appointments will be finalized before the end of first quarter in 2025, which is especially encouraging for residents of rural areas who will benefit from this development.

“The Osun State Government has been dedicated to enhancing the education sector, implementing reforms that include the recruitment of new teachers, creating a comprehensive database for schools, and providing vital resources such as computers to support both teaching and learning. This proactive approach signals a positive future for education in the state”

Yusuf Oketola

Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.