Kogi Commissioner Refutes Report, Says No Plan to Sack Teachers

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

The Kogi State Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Mr. Wemi Jones, has described as absolute falsehood the report making the rounds in some sections of the online media that Governor Yahaya Bello has ordered the sack of Kogi teachers who are not All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters.

Jones in a statement issued yesterday in Lokoja while reacting to the misinformation, described the news as fake, baseless and a figment of the imagination of unscrupulous individuals masquerading under the guise of opposition with the intention to create disaffection amongst teachers and workers in the state.

The commissioner said as a matter of fact the state government is about releasing the list of 1,500 successful applicants to be employed as teachers in the state secondary schools in the first phase of ongoing recruitment exercise for teachers, describing the report as one from the pit of hell.

He explained that it will interest the authors of the sponsored report to note that in the just concluded transparent exercise carried out to recruit teachers in the state, “nobody was asked to show his or her party membership card, whether he is APC or PDP”, rather he said everybody that was interviewed, “what mattered was whether the applicant possesses the requisite qualification to be a teacher in the state.”

He described the misinformation as one too many by the opposition, noting that the report is not logical but one laced with lies and vendetta, lamenting that people could go to the extreme to paint the state government black for no just cause.

The commissioner said at no time was any directive issued to local government chairmen as contained in the report to compile names of teachers not sympathetic to APC, describing the present administration as one that has placed premium on the recruitment and improvement of the welfare of teachers and workers top on the front burner.

While pointing out that just recently the leadership of NigerIA Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state publicly commended the state government for the release of promotion, payment of promotion arrears for teachers and other workers benefits in the state, describing those behind the misinformation as “enemies and agents of Lucifer whose trade in stock is to cause destruction and disaffection amongst the peace-loving teachers and workers in the state.”

Jones was emphatic that no compilation of names of teachers as falsely claimed by the mischief makers is ever contemplated, describing the present administration of Governor Bello as one that has better repositioned the education sector to the admiration of the people since the creation of the state.

While pointing out that the state government has in the last seven years under the leadership of Governor Bello  made the building and renovation of primary schools across the state a top priority, added that the GYB Model Science Secondary Schools across the state is another signature of the Bello’s administration that has remained a watershed in the state’s education history.

In the area of technical and vocational education, Jones disclosed that the state has reawakened all the moribund Technical Colleges in the state, disclosing that the Technical Colleges in Idah and others have been renovated, remodelled and are nearing completion with the aim of reawakening technical and vocational education.

The Education Commissioner notes with nostalgia the establishment of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, an institution he noted has become the flagship amongst state owned university’s in Nigeria, describing the malicious report of the governor ordering the sack of teachers not sympathetic to APC as wicked, a report that stands logic on its head.

While pointing out what yardstick the authors of the malicious report carried out to determine teachers not sympathetic to APC as claimed, he described Governor Bello as a democrat who will not muzzle any citizen of the state over choice exercising their franchise.

Jones pointed out that the good works of Governor Bello acknowledged all over the country in the repositioning of the education since the state history is enough to convince the teachers and other citizens of the state on who to vote for in the forthcoming general election, urging the mischief makers to be mindful of misinformation that would not do the state any good for political reasons.

Jones reaffirmed the determination of the state government to allow the people to freely make their choice in the forthcoming general election, describing the report as one that failed in meeting the objectives of the mischief makers as it is fake, baseless and hold no sense in its entirety.

The commissioner, who called on journalists to always cross check their facts before publishing, cautioned against yellow journalism, describing development journalism, balanced and unbiased reportage as the way to go in modern democracy.

He maintained that no order emanated from his office to any council chairman as insinuated by the disgruntled elements, noting that the state has no uncleared list anywhere after the successful staff audit carried out years ago aimed at arm-twisting civil servants to do its bidding or be sacked.

While the commissioner expressed optimism that with the unprecedented achievements, in terms of human capital and infrastructure by Governor Bello, he also expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress would win overwhelmingly in all the forthcoming general election, describing Kogi State as an APC State by virtue of good governance under the leadership of Governor Bello.