Heads may roll as Soludo cancels teachers’ recruitment again over irregularities

Tony Okafor, Awka

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has directed immediate cancellation of the published list of newly recruited teachers in the state following alleged irregularities in the process.

This is the second time, the governor had intervened in the recruitment exercise following public outcry.

An insider, who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that heads may roll in the Ministry of Education over the exercise.

The source said,” The governor is no longer happy with the hanky panky going on in that ministry over this exercise. Some people there want to use the opportunity to practise nepotism and commercialise the exercise, but thanks for the governor who wants a transparent exercise about the recruitment process.

The ministry of education had on Sunday, released a list of about 5000 recruited teachers, which sparked condemnation across the state.

A release by government cancelling the exercise read in part, “Prof Chukwuma Soludo has directed the Hon Commissioner to delete the list released yesterday( Sunday) following allegations from the teeming public that the list was marred by irregularities and some qualified teachers names omitted from the said list coupled with the duplication of some names.

“However, the Governor has directed the cancellation of the list and further postpone the data capturing of successful teachers indefinitely.

“To this end, a new list is currently being compiled which would comprise a total 5000 Teachers; 3000 for secondary and 2000 from ASUBEB making it 5000 and it would be posted here once it’s released.

Soludo had earlier during the online test for the recruitment of the teachers cancelled the examination which was marred with hitches and irregularities, and ordered a fresh one.

About 40,000 teachers had applied for the teaching job in the state but 31,800 candidates were cleared to sit for the online recruitment examination through controversial circumstances by the ministry.

It was then gathered that barely 30 minutes into the one-hour exam time, the server crashed in what was then seen as the ” Nigerian factor” to favour some preferred candidates.

In a statement signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, Soludo directed that the examination be cancelled and a repeat exercise be held to accommodate all interests.

Aburime’s statement then read, “In line with his objective of ensuring transparency and fairness to all, Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has directed a repeat of the online recruitment exam for Teachers in Anambra State.

“Governor Soludo has, therefore, directed the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh to conduct a repeat of the exercise to make up for the shortfall in the Saturday 4th of June preliminary Teacher’s Recruitment Examination.

“He has further directed that all expenses for the test be covered by the Government,” he said.

Aburime added that Soludo had directed that the 31,800 listed applicants should be given an equal chance to participate in a preliminary online exam, before shortlisting the successful applicants for the 2nd Computer Based Test.

He said the mix-ups arose from the online examinations website crashing, stating that it was not intended as many had insinuated.

“It is in a bid to make up and ensure that all eligible candidates are carried along, that the governor has approved a repeat of the exercise.He assures Ndi-Anambra that their interest will be protected at all times by his administration.”