10th February, 2023
By Richard Elesho
Kogi State Government has denied hatching plans to sack teachers who are not members of the All Progressives Congress, APC and who may vote against the party in the upcoming general elections.
Kogi commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Hon Wemi Jones, made the denial in a statement, while reacting to media reports on alleged plans by government to witch-hunt workers on the basis of their political affiliation.
He described the reports 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.
He explained that it will interest the authors of the sponsored report to note that in the just concluded exercise carried out to recruit teachers, nobody was asked to show his or her party membership card.
Rather, he said what mattered was whether the applicant possessed the requisite qualification to be a teacher.
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.
He noted that the Yahaya Bello administration places premium on the recruitment and improvement of the welfare of Teachers and workers.
While pointing out that just recently the Leadership of National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE and Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC in the State publicly commended the State Government for the release of promotion, and payment of arrears. He said those behind the misinformation are enemies and agents of the devil.
Jones was emphatic that no compilation of names of teachers as falsely claimed by the mischief makers was ever contemplated, adding that the administration of Gov Bello has repositioned the education sector to the admiration of the people.
He pointed out that the State Government had in the last seven years made the building and renovation of primary schools a priority, adding that the GYB Model Science Secondary Schools across the State is another signature of the administration.
Jones reaffirmed determination of the Government to allow the people to freely make their choice in the forthcoming general election.
The Commissioner who called on journalists to always cross check their facts before publishing, cautioned against yellow journalism, noting that development Journalism, balanced and unbiased reportage is the way to go in modern democracy.