A fresh row has erupted between the Osun State Government and Hon. Oluwole Oke, member representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, over allegations that the state abruptly halted a planned recruitment of about 700 part-time teachers aimed at easing severe staffing shortages in public schools.
The controversy began when Oke accused the government of scuttling an initiative he described as a targeted educational intervention under his Education Trust Fund to address acute manpower deficits, particularly in core subjects across Ijesa North.
“At the time, schools across Ijesa North were critically understaffed, with overcrowded classrooms and declining learning outcomes,” Oke said.
The lawmaker explained that the exercise was not intended as a parallel employment scheme but as a temporary bridge pending comprehensive state-led recruitment. Applications were invited from qualified NCE holders and university graduates, with shortlisted candidates set for a rigorous multi-stage screening process including aptitude tests, interviews, credential verification, and micro-teaching sessions at the Ipetu-Ijesa Campus of Osun State University.
Oke alleged that after weeks of preparation by an organising committee, the process was abruptly terminated without consultation, harmonisation, or any absorption plan.
“There was no consultation, no harmonisation plan and no absorption arrangement. The exercise was simply halted,” he said.
He further suggested the timing was suspicious, noting that the state government later announced its own teachers’ recruitment drive.
The Osun State Government has strongly denied the claims, describing them as baseless and politically motivated.
Reacting to the allegation, Commissioner for Education Dipo Eluwole said the ministry had no prior knowledge of any such arrangement.
“As the Commissioner for Education, I am hearing this for the first time. There is nothing of such,” Eluwole said.
He insisted no directive was ever issued to stop any recruitment linked to the federal lawmaker and pointed out that part-time teaching support already exists in schools through Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs).
“Nobody stopped anything. There are PTA teachers everywhere. He is only trying to score a political point,” the commissioner stated.
The disagreement has reignited debate over the roles of federal lawmakers in constituency interventions, especially in education, and raised questions about coordination between state authorities and representatives in addressing Nigeria’s persistent teacher shortages.
While Oke maintains the initiative was purely constituency-driven and aimed at immediate relief for local schools, the state government maintains there was never an official plan under discussion that required its intervention or approval.
