Osun Decentralises Teaching Service Recruitment Exercise as Access Portal Fee Becomes Examination Fee

In the last few days, it has emerged that Osun state government is responding to the concerns of the citizens and group in the state regarding its approach to the ongoing recruitment of prospective teachers into public primary schools. At the wee of the announcement of the beginning of the recruitment exercise, people and group fumed about the portal access fee of N3,000, saying it is exploitative and unacceptable considering the dwindling socioeconomic status of the prospective teachers.

Earlier reports show that the Commissioner of Education in the State, Folorunso Bamisayemi responded, saying he could not involve in recruitment exercise that would not provide the right and qualified teachers for the growth of education sector in the State. Reacting, Jamiu Baatunde Olawumi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Education announced in a widely circulated statement on social media that the State Government has decentralised the sales of PIN Code for access by the prospective teachers, “most especially those who desire to take up appointment as teachers in the State owned Basic and Post Basic Schools.” According to the statement the exercise will now hold at 5 different centers as follow;

1. Ministry of Education, State Secretariat.
2. Osun East District Education Office at Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife
3. Osun Central District Education Office at Akinorun Grammar School, Ikirun
4. Osun West District Education Office at Ikire.
5. Unity Bank Plc. Ogo-Oluwa, area, Osogbo.

Meanwhile, it has appeared that the State Government has changed its intent on the fee being paid by the prospective teachers. This could be gleaned from the Special Adviser’s last paragraph of his widely circulated statement. According to him “Interested and prospective teachers are therefore advised to pick the PIN Number through which they are paying for the examination charges to be conducted by JAMB CBT at a time to be communicated to them by JAMB headquarters.”

The Positive Agenda Nigeria had earlier said “it unthinkable that candidates, who are indigenes of Osun are expected to pay a sum of N3,000 to the coffers of the state government before they could be allowed to submit their applications for employment into the public service of the state.”