Kwara State government commenced process to recruit Four thousand, seven hundred teachers to various primary and secondary schools within the State. This, according to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, was aimed at filling Kwara schools with qualified and competent tutors who will teach children in basic classes, junior and senior secondary schools across the length and breadth of the State.
The application portal for the recruitment, opened on January 3rd, 2021, with the Governor declaring “sincere intention” of his government, to ensure anyone who gets a slot does so because they merit it, had a total of 56,924 applicants at the close of the application.
Fresh Insight is monitoring the recruitment process and wishes to state, that the ongoing recruitment process, to a large extent, is promising. If only the government demonstrates its readiness to brace all the odds in sticking to its resolve to ensure the process is not only credible, but fair and transparent.
Of particular attention, is an applicant for SUBEB Civic Education teaching job, with NCE in Political Science/Social Studies who was hitherto disqualified without reasons, but later got notified of the reason for her disqualification after writing an open letter to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
The reason given for her disqualification, according to the Governor’s CPS Rafiu Ajakaiye was because her course of study wasn’t advertised. Same reason was later uploaded on her portal and contrary to those claims that her qualification does not match her application, she finally got invitation for test. This candidate got three different responses on her application portal within few days.
Findings however showed, against the Governor’s CPS argument, that there is no school in Nigeria offering NCE or BSc in Civic Education. No candidate can therefore, possibly apply with any qualification in ‘Civic Education’.
It was further found out, that the most suitable requirements for Civic Education teaching are qualifications in either Political Science or Social Studies. This is even as the CPS insisted that some applicants applied with qualifications in Civic Education. This is one out of thousands. What about several others who do not have the courage to speak up?
While we are not interested in discrediting the process, which so far, Is promising, we are disturbed that individuals expected to walk the talk for a truly transparent, fair and credible recruitment process are the same defending the ills of the process, instead of pushing for it to be addressed in the overall interest of the exercise. We must collectively, brace the odds towards ensuring we get the best out of the recruitment exercise.
Going forward, we indulge government officials to not see discerning observations by members of the public as mere criticism or with undue suspicion. But a sincere contribution on their part, to a supposed inclusive government, for the envisioned greater future we all seek for Kwara State to be birthed.
Thus far, the orderliness that has trailed the novel recruitment exercise is promising and largely commendable, especially with the adoption of a Computer Based Test (CBT) model, which is less prone to manipulations and delayed results.
It’s however left to be seen how the remaining exercise of selecting of successful candidates, interviewing and final shortlisting will be immune from political and other primordial considerations, which annihilates competitiveness, objectivity and merit.
It’s also worthy of note that for the desired result to the achieved, the unnecessarily prolonged dilly dallying with the minimum wage negotiation if not urgently done with and implemented will be a major disincentive to the prospective teachers.
