The Osun State Government has deployed 1,750 members of the Imole Youth Corps to public primary and secondary schools across the state as a temporary measure to address teacher shortage in the state.
Governor Ademola Adeleke approved the deployment following delays in the planned mass recruitment of permanent teaching staff, which the government attributed to financial constraints. The measure also intended to serve as a stopgap to fill vacancies in critical subject areas and ensure continuity in teaching across schools.
In a statement issued by Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the Governor’s spokesperson, the corps members who hold a Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and university degrees have been assigned to various schools in the state.
Adeleke said the state is aiming to move from its current 7th position to among the top three in national performance metrics, promising that the administration would proceed with full-scale teacher recruitment as soon as the financial situation improves.
The breakdown of the deployment includes The breakdown of the posting are as follows: Ayedaade – 65; Atakumosa East 35; Atakumosa West 43; Ayedire 47; Boluwaduro 44; Boripe 33; Ede North 74; Ede South 66; Egbedore 56; Ejigbo 87; Ife Central 61; Ife East 28; Ife North 39; Ife South 50. Others are Ifedayo- 58; Ifelodun -58; Ila Orangun- 83; Ilesa East -61; Ilesa West- 68; Irepodun -43; Irewole- 74; Isokan -19; Iwo -87; Obokun- 50; Odo Otin -77; Ola Oluwa -43; Olorunda- 44; Oriade -106; Orolu -41; Osogbo -80; and Modakeke Area Office -33.
However, the deployment has drawn strong criticism from the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which described the move as detrimental to the future of education in the state.
In a press statement signed by Kola Olabisi, the party’s Director of Media and Information, the APC accused the governor of derailing from good governance by allegedly prioritising untrained ad hoc staff over qualified teacher applicants who had previously been interviewed and were awaiting placement.
He said, “it defies logic how a government that is constructing five needless flyovers with billions of naira, purchased multi-million naira vehicles for the unproductive members of his cabinet with billions of naira to feed in the Government House could have the lever to announce to the public that it is posting 1,750 untrained teachers to the public schools in the state.
“There is no doubting the fact that Governor Adeleke has lost focus, and he has confirmed beyond a reasonable doubt with his actions and inactions in the public office that he does not have what it takes to govern a complex state like Osun.”
Calling the policy a collective setback for education in Osun, the APC urged stakeholders to reject the initiative and challenged the governor to apologise to parents and teacher applicants affected by the development.
The party also called on Adeleke to consider resigning from office, alleging that his administration lacked the focus needed to deliver on core governance issues.
