CDHR urges Adeleke to allocate appointment letters to qualified applicants
By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Osun State branch, has urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to promptly issue long-overdue appointment letters to qualified applicants who participated in the teachers’ recruitment exercise, after a delay of 13 months.
In a letter addressed to Governor Adeleke through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Osun State, the human rights group expressed concern that the delay in distributing appointment letters to qualified teachers is having a detrimental impact on the state’s education system.
The letter reads: “We are writing to address the prolonged delay in the allocation of appointment letters to qualified applicants who participated in the recent teachers’ recruitment exercise organised by the Osun State Government under your administration.
“Your Excellency, on February 16th, 2024, you approved the immediate recruitment of Five Thousand (5,000) teachers for both Primary and Secondary Schools, along with Two Hundred and Fifty (250) education officers in Osun State.
“The recruitment process included the sale of application forms for the sum of Two Thousand Naira (¦ 2,000.00), which saw Thirty-Two Thousand (32,000) applicants register. Of these, Twenty-Nine Thousand (29,000) applicants accessed the internet for the examination, while Twenty-Seven Thousand (27,000) applicants sat for the exam.
“It is important to note that the application process ran for two weeks, from February 16th to February 30th, 2024, with Thirty-Two Thousand (32,000) applicants applying within just two weeks. This underscores the high level of unemployment in the state.
“The examination took place on March 27th and 28th, 2024, and on April 17th, 2024, the examination results were released. An interview for shortlisted candidates was conducted from Monday, September 9th to Friday, September 13th, 2024.
“However, despite the outlined timeline, the process has been delayed for an extended period, now stretching to approximately thirteen (13) months, with no clear communication regarding the issuance of appointment letters to the successful candidates.
“This delay has negatively affected the education system in Osun State, as vacancies remain unfilled, leading to an increased workload for the already overburdened staff and contributing to a decline in the overall output of Osun’s education system.
“We would also like to draw your attention to the use of Imole Youth Corps members in place of professionally trained teachers in our schools. These individuals are mostly untrained and could potentially cause further damage to the education of our children. This practice must be stopped immediately, sir.
“The Osun State Government must take swift action to address the situation by issuing appointment letters to all qualified applicants without further delay. This will ensure the educational system receives the necessary support in terms of qualified teaching staff, thereby preventing further disruptions and inefficiencies in the public schools across the state.
“We, therefore, urge you to immediately direct the Ministry of Education to release the appointment letters within the next five (5) days, ensuring that the education system in the state is not further compromised.”
