Honourable Oluwole Oke, Member of the House of Representatives representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Osun State Government led by Governor Ademola Adeleke over the prolonged delay in the recruitment of teachers and the retention of application fees collected from applicants.
In a press release made available to PeakNews on Tuesday, Oke expressed displeasure over the failure of the state government to conclude the recruitment of secondary school teachers nearly two years after applicants paid prescribed fees.
According to the lawmaker, thousands of qualified applicants who applied in good faith have been subjected to uncertainty and hardship due to the government’s inability to either finalise the recruitment process or refund the monies collected.
Oke demanded that within seven days, the Adeleke-led administration must either commence and conclude the employment of qualified teachers for public secondary schools or refund all application fees in full to the affected applicants.
“The government must not continue to hold on to money collected from citizens without delivering on the purpose for which such payments were made,” Oke stated, warning that failure to act would force applicants and stakeholders to pursue all lawful means of redress.
He further called on the state government to reinstate teachers disengaged by the current administration and ensure their fair deployment alongside newly recruited teachers.
The federal lawmaker also clarified that the recruitment of primary school teachers is, by law, the responsibility of the Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs). He described any applica
tion fees collected centrally for primary school teaching positions as illegal and insisted that such monies must be refunded immediately.
Oke urged the Osun State Government to uphold the principles of accountability, transparency, and rule of law, stressing that prompt action on the matter would help restore public confidence and alleviate the hardship faced by unemployed graduates across the state.
As at the time of filing this report, the Osun State Government had not issued an official response to the ultimatum.
