Osun

Teachers’ Recruitment: Applicants Insist On Protest Despite Govt Reassurance

ByYusuf Oketola

PublishedJanuary 30, 2026

The 5,000 shortlisted candidates for the 2024 teacher’s recruitment exercise in Osun State have insisted on embarking on a peaceful protest to register their displeasure over delay in the issuance of appointment letters to them by the state government.

Recall that Governor Ademola Adeleke had on two different fora announced the release of appointment letters to the awaiting teachers almost two years into the exercise.

OSUN DEFENDER reports that the initial directive was made in March 2025 while the current one was announced on Thursday, January 15, 2025.

However, the applicants have accused the state government of paying lip service to the release of the letter, alleging that the government has refused to communicate an official date for the directive.

Recall that the state government had in 2024 attributed the delay in the release of the appointment letters to the increment in minimum wage before the local government crisis broke out.

A cross section of the applicants who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER on condition of anonymity, challenged the government to come out clean and stop playing politics with their future.

One of the applicants said “The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi during a radio programme recently didn’t state an actual date for the release of the appointment letters to us. The simple interpretation is that we have been deceived and this may have a negative impact on their government.

“This was the same way we were promised in March 2025, till this moment, nothing positive has come out of it. How on earth will a government make a pronouncement without a timeline and keep on saying soon. That doesn’t make any sense.

“The government kept on saying there’s no money, where did they get money to pay Amotekun Corps operatives they recruited in March 2025?

“I believe it’s high time we mobilize our colleagues across all local governments to stage a peaceful protest against the delay if that is the only language they will understand.

“We urge all other applicants to come out en masse for this protest. This is for us to get our appointment letters. We don’t want a situation whereby only five members will show interest. At least, we should come out in the hundreds.

“We can even fight the seizure of the local governments allocations by the Federal Government on behalf of the state government if they couldn’t pay us after our employment. We should be the one coming out to protest against the Federal Government.

“The state government cannot fight alone, they need the support of the masses to win this war against federal might. It shows that they are not ready as well to put an end to the shenanigans. There is no difference between Adeleke and Oyetola. None of them is close to Aregbesola in terms of governance.

“It’s left to us to decide if we’re going to come out for protest or not. Keeping mute won’t do any of us any favor. There is the need for us to come out at this critical moment for the government to know we are still in existence.

“What the government does not understand is the multiplier effect of the 5000 successful applicants on the coming election. That’s about 20,000 votes because, at least four family members are attached to each applicant.

“The fact is that none of us will come out on election day to vote if our letters are not released. The government is deliberately wasting our time,” he added.

The state Commissioner for Education, Hon. Dipo Eluwole, while reacting to an earlier report on the planned protest said teachers recruitment involves budgetary clearance, verification, posting needs and payroll integration, none of which can be executed arbitrarily.

Eluwole said the phased release of appointment letters is deliberate and ongoing, not reactive.

He promised that the Ministry of Education will continue to update the public through official channels as each milestone of the recruitment process is concluded.

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.