Top civil servants accused of frustrating Adeleke’s plan to recruit teachers in Osun

STEPHEN GBADAMOSI, IBADAN

 There are strong indications that Governor Ademola Adeleke may not employ teachers into the primary and post-primary schools in the state as he announced last Wednesday.

Sources in the State Ministry of Education disclosed that “though the governor has announced that appointment letters should be issued to successful applicants in the qualified examination conducted for the applicants by the Ministry of Education two years ago, but some senior civil servants in the state are foiling the efforts of the governor.

The State Head of Service, particularly, was alleged to have told the governor about the paucity of funds which could accommodate the newly employed teachers in the state treasury.

The governor, last Wednesday, was reported to have directed the state Commissioner for Education, Honorable  Dipo Eluwole; Chairman Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM); Mr. Temitope Adeyemi; and chairman, Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Honourable Ibukun Fadipe,  to dispatch letters of appointment to 2,500 teachers in TESCOM and SUBEB.

But the development is causing ripples within the fold of the state’s SUBEB and TESCOM, as reports had it that the state Head of Service (HoS), Mr. Ayanleye Aina, was alleged to be “strongly opposing the governor’s decision on the employment.”

Senator Adeleke had directed distribution of letters of appointment to the first batch of newly-recruited teachers in the state.

Adeleke made the disclosure while speaking at the Commendation and Solidarity Parade organised by the Stay-in-School Initiative at St. Charles Grammar School, Osogbo, the state capital.

The HoS,’ advice which was said could affect “the good work of Senator Adeleke in the state,” was said to go contrary to the announcement of the governor on teachers’ recruitment.

A senior civil servant in the state Ministry of Education, Abere, who craved anonymity, said “distribution of appointment letters had yet to be resolved under the administration, because the Head of Service is always giving ill advice to the governor on the appointment, hinging on the financial situation of the State.”

She alleged that “the Head of Service is misleading the government of the state on the altar of paucity of funds.

“He is aware of thousands of people earlier employed by the past administration, but dumped by the government.

“Why is this new directive to give these new 2,500 people letters of appointment is being attempted to be thwarted by the Head of Service?

“This may be dangerous for the Adeleke-led administration. “You know our boss is not a politician; he does not understand the political implications of reversing the governor’s speech delivered openly in an event, especially on issues bordering on politics and livelihood of the people.

“This looks like an attempt to set a booby trap for the  Adeleke government in the state,” she said.

It will be recalled that about 22,000 people in the state applied for teaching service three years ago, but they are not yet employed by the government, as a result of alleged financial crisis the state is witnessing currently.

However, inhabitants of the state from different towns have lauded the governor’s pronouncements on the proposed teachers’ appointments, as they said, it would give credence to the governor’s service in the state.