From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa state Governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah has disclosed that the governor, Senator Douye Diri, directed the suspension of the recent teacher recruitment exercise. The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Education, Dr Gentle Emelah, and the Executive Chairman of the Post Primary School Board, Chief Millionaire Asangba, had publicly spat over the recruitment exercise.
Emelah had ordered the suspension of the exercise but Asangba had swiftly rebuffed him rejecting all claims of irregularities.
Speaking on the suspension of the exercise in a radio programme, View Point, monitored in Yenagoa, Alabrah stated that Diri ordered the suspension.
According to him the suspension of the exercise became imperative following revelations that the process derailed from the vision the government set out to achieve.
Alabrah who noted that the government wanted to recruit teachers based on the needs of schools and the students, stressed that the recruitment process derailed from the intention of government.
He pointed out that the process is being reviewed and assured that all those who were properly engaged would be paid.
“Before the teacher recruitment exercise, the government sent out a team to all the schools in the rural and urban areas to find out the number of teachers and the subjects needed. This informed the figure of teachers to be recruited. By the time the process was concluded, we found out that the recruitment process did not follow the needs assessment the government had in mind.
“Aside there were other issues which people were saying and other funny claims. However, our concern was that the process should not negate the intention of the government. The Governor now directed the Commissioner for Education to take a second look at the process. He was directed to halt the process. That was why you heard people saying they have not been paid. This was because the process had to be reviewed.
“Everyone who was properly engaged would be paid. This is what the Ministry of Education is doing in reviewing the process. But I can assure you that they will be paid.”