Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, on Monday presented letters of appointment to the 5,300 teaching and non-teaching staff just employed into public primary and secondary schools in all the 33 local government areas of the state.
At a ceremony witnessed by a mammoth crowd of party faithful, professional bodies and members of the public at the popular Mapo Hall, Ibadan, letters of appointment were distributed to those employed from all the 11 local government areas in Ibadanland.
The remaining letters are scheduled for distribution in Oyo, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa at later dates.
Speaking at the occasion, Governor Ajimobi said that the recruitment of 5,300 teachers in one fell swoop by his administration was unprecedented in the history of the state.
He said that the exercise was part of government’s efforts to improve the standard of education in the state aside providing job for the teeming unemployed youth.
The governor, who said that his administration had been doing everything possible to improve the quality of education in the state, stressed that over 31,000 teachers had been sent on various trainings, both locally and internationally, in order to improve their productivity, while a total of 24,000 teachers had been promoted.
“Let me specifically congratulate our teachers in Oyo State. I can say it authoritatively that our teachers have never had it so good. They have continued to enjoy salary elongation, while their appointments have been gazetted,’’ he said.
He also noted that so many schools had been rehabilitated, while six models schools spread across the state were currently under construction.
Governor Ajimobi commended the cordial relationship between his administration and the teachers, saying that they (teachers) and indeed the entire civil service had not had any cause to go on strike since the inception of his administration.
In their separate remarks, the Chairmen of SUBEB and TESCOM, Dr. Busari Adebisi and Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi said that the recruitment of the teachers would contribute significantly to the development of education as well as put joy in the families of the beneficiaries.
Two of the beneficiaries, Messrs Tirimisiyu Damilare and Akorede Balkit expressed delight at their appointment, pledging that they would contribute their quota towards attaining the necessary educational standard in the state.