Govt officials allegedly swindle candidates of thousands of naira over teaching job

Joseph Atainyang

Amidst anxieties and controversies trailing the recently announced employment vacancies for 1,000 teachers through the Akwa Ibom State Secondary Education Board, the state government has stepped in to resolve the issue.

Various allegations had been made on how corruption was eating up the system, raising suspicions against the recruitment process as well as discouraging the poor from participation.

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, had recently directed the immediate recruitment of teachers during a state executive council meeting, after a report presented by officials of the state education committee.

It was learnt, the initiative was a step towards filling vacancies in public secondary schools across the state.

Like the common situation where job vacancies in Nigeria were left in the hands of the rich, it was rumoured that 1,000 openings had already been shared as slots among politicians.

Local media have been replete with reports of government officials selling slots for as much as N200,000.

CitizenDiary observed that jobless citizens were asked to pay, at least, N100,000 pending when the lists of successful candidates would be posted.

It was gathered that some stranded job seekers had already paid the money, as they were directed to visit the same channels once their names were shortlisted.

Similarly, there were online circulations, notifying prospective candidates to pick the employment forms at designated centres, fill and get them submitted.

Speaking with our correspondent, Edidiong Sam and Oscar Tom (not real names) said their contacts have assured them that the process would work.

The duo of Edidiong Sam and Oscar Tom told CitizenDiary that they had paid N100,000 each and would be obliged to pay the balance once the deal was sealed, with their names published.

While Edidiong Sam is currently engaging in petty job after her graduation in 2015, Oscar Tom is at present teaching in one of the private secondary schools in the state.

They are both graduates of the Faculty of Education.

But the state government appears to be operating at a different dimension, far from elements of the controversies.

Reacting, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong, dismissed all the allegations that indicted the government officials.

Comrade Ememobong rather strengthened prospective applicants to remain calm, assuring that government was working out modalities to make the recruitment process transparent.

According to him, the registration exercise would be done online.

“The recruitment will be transparently done. The registration will be online”, he said.