Enugu teachers’ recruitment suffers setback as Assembly orders fresh exercise

The Enugu State House of Assembly on Thursday called for the outright cancellation of the recruitment of about 2,000 teachers  to fill up vacancies in its primary education system and ordered the Enugu State Universal Basic Education to discontinue the exercise and conduct a fresh one. The legislators who insisted on the cancellation of the […]

The Enugu State House of Assembly on Thursday called for the outright cancellation of the recruitment of about 2,000 teachers  to fill up vacancies in its primary education system and ordered the Enugu State Universal Basic Education to discontinue the exercise and conduct a fresh one.

The legislators who insisted on the cancellation of the exercise that took place recently, said the exercise was not conducted in a transparent manner which resulted into complaints from various quarters.

Unsatisfied with the manner the teachers were selected for the recruitment exercise, the House last Tuesday summoned the Chairman of ENSUBEB, Chief Ikeje Asogwa and the Perm Sec, Mrs Rose Chiama to appear before it and explain why the exercise should not be cancelled following the outcry that preceded it.

Still unconvinced by the answers from the ENSUBEB chairman, Asogwa, on the criterion used in the recruitment, the lawmakers resolved that the exercise be cancelled  while  a fresh one be conducted.

The House reached the conclusion following the position of the ENSUBEB permanent secretary, Mrs Chiama that she knew nothing about the exercise and that even the Board never knew about it, adding that they were not carried along.

Asogwa’s explanation that the exercise was well-conducted as the governor and even some members of the House of Assembly were privy to the exercise fell on deaf ears as he gave the impression that the would-be teachers came short of expectation and failed the interview exams given to them woefully.

The House members were furious that both exams and interview for those short-listed out of the 21,000 applicants only took place within a week.

Commenting on the development, Speaker Edward Ubosi, said that the exercise is nullified immediately and a fresh one should be conducted.

He said that the Board should collaborate with relevant stakeholders like the Ministry of Education to conduct future exercise.

Ubosi also said that the proposed rescheduled exercise should take place at various local governments’ areas of the state instead of converging everyone at Enugu, the state capital.

Daily Trust learnt that 100 teachers each were supposed to be employed from each of the 17 local government areas of the state.