By Owen Eresoyen, Benin
Recruitment of teachers recently became an issue in Edo state when Prince Kazeem Afegbua expressed concern over the ongoing teachers recruitment exercise initiated by the outgoing Obaseki administration.
Afegbua, who previously served as the spokesperson for the Edo APC Campaign Council, is now a member of the APC transition committee.
He questioned the rationale behind the last-minute recruitment of teachers by the state government, emphasizing that it does not bode well with the incoming Okpebholo administration, adding also that the action will significantly raise the state’s wage bill.
Interestingly, Afegbua’s views seem to reflect the collective sentiment of some people regarding the recent actions taken by the outgoing Obaseki administration..
Obaseki concern is addressing gaps in the education sector by recruiting qualified teachers, while Prince Afegbua and his likes are concerned with the timing of the recruitment.
Going by records, this is almost first time in about 16 years in the State ie from oshiomhole to Obaseki administration, the recruitment of teachers for the primary and secondary schools is taking place in the education sector.
During his campaign for the Edo guber seat in 2008, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole criticized the then-Governor Lucky Igbinedion for failing to prioritize teachers’ recruitment.
Sadly, the same Oshiomhole ended up falling into the trap as his predecessors by not within his first term office recruit teachers, rather bulk of teachers were placed on suspension for arriving late to school.
The comrade governor improvements in the education sector was mainly the construction of red roof schools, which only added more classrooms but failed to address the crucial need, the recruitment of teachers.
The first time the issue of recruitment of teachers came on board during the Oshiomhole’s Administration was the setting up of Prof Dennis Agbonlahor committee in 2012 to conduct the excise.
Oshiomhole delayed teacher’s recruitment until towards the end of his administration in 2016.
Those who were eventually hired about 800 teachers were later recalled because the then administration claimed the “recruitment process was compromised.”
The time frame left in the administration did not allow him to conduct another recruitment exercise hence ended up not recruiting.
Gov Obaseki just like his predecessor initiated steps to address these issues at late hours of the administration.
The Obaseki’s administration engaged ad hoc teachers to fill in the gab who were referred to as Star teachers but the state government was tactical slow in converting them to permanent staff.
The recruitment of the teachers should not be thrown away spite of the timing.
It is dangerous politics to manipulate the recruitment of teachers and the future of education in the state.
Senator Okpebholo promised to hire 5000 teachers in his 100 days in office during his campaign; the recent recruitment should be a relief for him to start from and not a burden.