• Edo APC criticises Obaseki’s last-minute recruitment of 4,000 teachers
Governor Godwin Obaseki has said his government in the last eight years focused on improving the lives of Edo people, creating opportunities and restoring the hope of the youths of the state.
Obaseki said this at the commissioning of the Edo State College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Iguoriakhi, in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of the state.
He was joined by the former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion; the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2024 governorship election, Dr. Asue Ighodalo; the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Marvelous Godwins Omobayo; Chief of Staff, Osaigbovo Iyoha; Head of service (HOS), Anthony Okungbowa, among others.
According to the governor, “In the last eight years, we have focused on our people, particularly our young people. We had to give them hope because when we came in 2016, our young people wanted to move to other countries and anywhere else except Edo State. At one time in 2017, we had over 30,000 boys and girls in Libya, and many of them died in search of a better life.
“If we have institutions like this that can train them and give them skills, opportunities, and hope, many of them would have been alive.”
However, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Transition Committee, Kassim Afegbua, has said that the recruitment of 4,000 teachers by the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration in Edo State was “deliberately to destabilise” the incoming administration of Monday Okpebholo.
In a statement in Benin, Afegbua said that the recruitment of 4,000 teachers by the outgoing governor was “ill-intentioned”.
It would be recalled that the Edo State Government recently recruited over 5,000 teachers in the state. The chairperson of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) said that the over 5,000 teachers recruited would boost the workforce and enhance learning processes.
Afegbua said: “This move further validated our stance that the EdoBest project was not intended for the benefit of Edo people or its educational system. Throughout his tenure, Governor Obaseki failed to hire any teacher to bolster the state’s educational interests.
“We are dismayed by this sudden awareness at the end of his administration that the educational sector needs teachers. It is crucial to inform the public, especially those recruited as teachers, to dismiss this exercise as another political scheme,” he said.
But the Edo State Government said the APC vituperations suggest a deeper issue as they appear unprepared for the challenges of governance as the incoming government.
The state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, remarked while responding to the APC accusing the outgoing governor of attempting to burden the incoming administration of Senator Okpebholo with the recruitment of 4,000 teachers.
Nehikhare said Afegbua’s remarks highlight a lack of understanding of the current political landscape.
“Prince Kassim Afegbua seek to undermine the recruitment of dedicated teachers for Edo children. These educators are essential for advancing the transformative Edobest programme, which has made significant strides in improving educational standards in our state.
“Afegbua’s remarks are not only vacuous but also highlight a lack of understanding of the current political landscape.
“The qualified teachers who have recently been engaged were not appointed on a whim; they began the application process months ago, long before the recent elections. This demonstrates the commitment of the current administration to ensure that our educational system is staffed with competent professionals who are prepared to serve our children.”
He said the repeated vituperations from the APC suggest a deeper issue as they appear unprepared for the challenges ahead and are resorting to excuses to mask their potential failures adding that, “this pattern of behaviour is not conducive to fostering a constructive dialogue about education in Edo.
