By Nwafor Okafor
The Anambra State governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has said no qualified teacher was sacked by his government.
Soludo’s refutation was sequel to reports early in the week that he sacked no fewer than 1000 teachers employed by his predecessor, Chief Willie Obiano.
In a statement by the Press Secretary to the Governor, Christian Aburime,Soludo said the affected teachers were employed by the administration of Obiano in an irregular and hazy circumstances, adding that “Teachers all over the world are recruited through a serious and systematic pedagogical based process.”
The statement read in part,”The attention of Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has been drawn to publications on protest by Teachers engaged by the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) purportedly converted to permanent staff in Anambra state schools that were sacked by his administration.
“The protesters who barricaded the entrance of the state House of Assembly in Awka displayed placards with various inscriptions, claiming to have been engaged by the state government before the termination of their jobs.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no qualified teacher in the state’s school system has been relieved of his/her appointment.
‘The government is rather repositioning the education sector according to standard practice and in line with the objectives of the Soludo administration.
“The affected PTA teachers who were “converted” to the school system in the last days of the last administration in an irregular, hazy circumstances, were only asked to regularize their employment with the government by taking part in the online teachers’ recruitment test initiated by the state.
“Teachers all over the world are recruited through a serious and systematic pedagogical based process. The “conversion” method is rather new to the teaching field and is totally unacceptable in the State.
“The idea is to ensure that only those with requisite qualifications, proven capacity and commensurate experiences are recruited into the system. It is not to witch-hunt anybody or take away anybody’s job.
“Please ignore any mischievous or unfounded publication on this matter.At all times, Prof Soludo means well for the good people of Anambra State and will stop at nothing in giving them the best, education inclusive.”
