The Osun State Commissioner for Education, Dipo Eluwole, has blamed the delay in the state’s ongoing teachers’ recruitment exercise on the continued withholding of local government allocations by the Federal Government.
Eluwole made the disclosure in Ede during the opening session of a capacity-building workshop for public school teachers and administrators across the state.
He said the lingering political impasse over the control of local government councils in the state had led to a suspension of critical funding from the Federal Government, which in turn has stalled efforts to employ new teachers.
According to the commissioner, the Federal Government has failed to release local government allocations to Osun State since February, forcing the state government to prioritise statutory expenditures such as the payment of salaries for primary school teachers, local government workers, healthcare personnel, and traditional rulers.
“The funds we were supposed to use for recruiting more teachers are being used to pay salaries and meet other essential obligations. Everyone is receiving their entitlements as at when due, but unfortunately, the recruitment process is suffering,” Eluwole explained.
He appealed to the public for patience, noting that the challenge is beyond the control of the state government.
Eluwole emotionally revealed that Governor Ademola Adeleke was visibly distraught over the development, disclosing that the governor broke down in tears during a recent meeting.
“On Saturday, Mr Governor wept for 15 minutes before he could start a scheduled meeting. They had to pacify him. A monarch who was present also wept. That shows how serious and heartbreaking the situation is,” he said.
Giving further insight, the commissioner traced the cause of the crisis to the leadership tussle between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the control of the state’s local government councils.
He recalled that following the expiration of the tenure of the previous council officials in 2022, both parties laid claim to the control of the councils. While the PDP-led state government later conducted elections that produced new local government chairmen, the APC challenged the legitimacy of the process in court.
Although a recent court judgement affirmed the legality of the PDP-led local government councils, the Federal Government has continued to withhold allocations, citing unresolved legal and administrative concerns.
Despite the fiscal bottlenecks, Eluwole insisted that the education sector in Osun State has made notable strides under the current administration.
“Three years ago, Osun’s education system was in a completely different state. Today, we are gaining recognition nationwide. Osun is making Nigeria proud,” he said.
He called on residents of the state to continue supporting the government, stressing the importance of collective prayers and national unity.
“Let us continue to pray for our leaders. God will guide their feet from stumbling and ensure they do not lead us astray,” he added.
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