The Ondo State Government has ordered the immediate suspension of three officials of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) over their alleged involvement in job racketeering during the recent recruitment of teachers in the state.

With the suspended officials identified as two directors and a deputy director, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa ordered a full-scale investigation into the alleged scam.

While also directing the management of SUBEB to invite the defrauded applicants for a meeting, the state government revealed that the suspended officials connived with external fraudsters to issue fake employment and posting letters to job seekers in exchange for monetary benefits.

Some of the newly recruited teachers had, last week, protested against their exclusion from the ongoing biometric verification exercise for teachers across the state after a failed attempt to capture their biometrics. The protesters were told that their appointment letters were forged.

The state government had recently embarked on the recruitment of teachers into primary and secondary schools across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Following public outcry, the governor, through his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said the state government had begun a probe into the matter.

According to him, the protesters were not among the more than 2,000 teachers legitimately recruited for primary and secondary schools, all of whom have already resumed work.

“The attention of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been drawn to reports of a protest by individuals claiming to have been denied employment during the recent recruitment of teachers by the Ondo State Government through the State Universal Basic Education Board.

“To clarify, those who protested were not employed teachers but applicants defrauded by scammers who issued fake employment and posting letters after collecting money from them. These defrauded applicants were identified during
the biometric verification process and informed that their letters were fake.

“Already, disciplinary action has been taken against three SUBEB insiders who allegedly colluded with external individuals to defraud the applicants.

“Governor Aiyedatiwa has directed SUBEB management to invite the victims of the fraud for a meeting, while a committee has been constituted to further investigate the matter.”