Akwa Ibom to re-absorb 5,000 sacked teachers after screening — HoS

The Akwa Ibom State Government will re-absorb the 5,000 teachers sacked last October on ground of alleged fake credentials and other irregularities observed in the recruitment process.
The State Head of Civil Service, Ekereobong Akpan, made the announcement on Thursday in Uyo while briefing newsmen.
The affected teachers, whose appointment letters were dated April 1, 2015, were hurriedly recruited by the immediate past administration of Chief Godswill Akpabio, a month before his exit.
The mainly secondary school teachers had not received their salaries or posted to schools from April 2015 to October 2016 even though they were duly issued letters of appointment.
Akpan said the government had set up modalities for the screening and re-validation of the affected teachers, adding that the exercise would commence on February 11.
The Head of Service said the government had decided to open another window of opportunity to enable the teachers, especially those who possess relevant qualification to be recruited.
She said that the teachers would be screened on presentation of their original letter of appointment from the suspended the exercise.
Akpan said: “The affected persons will be expected to supply their birth certificates, First School Leaving Certificates, Educational Qualifications, Certificate of Origin and other credentials earlier submitted in the aborted recruitment exercise.
“Let me state here and very sincerely that all the affected persons, who succeed at this fool proof screening shall be offered appointment to teach in our public schools.”
She said that the government had also set up a committee to ascertain the total number of staff inherited from the six privately owned community schools taken over by the government in 2012.
She expressed surprise that the staff strength in the six community schools increased to 546 after the government took over the schools.
She said: “Let me break the good news that the committee set up has submitted its report.
“All the bonafide teaching and non-teaching staff as identified by the community, who used to payroll them, will be absorbed into the service.”