By Dorathy Tor
Chairman, Benue state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Comrade Joseph Utse has dispelled insinuations that government has politicised the 2,500 teaching jobs advertised for recruitment by the board.
Comr. Utse made this known in an interview with The Voice, following reports alleging that government had given employment to political patronisers and relatives before advertising the recruitment of 2,500 teachers in the state.
The SUBEB chairman said the process for the recruitment is still in progress.
He said: “The governor recently, in the state executive meeting directed that we should employ 2,500 teachers. We did advertisement but the number was too much so we came back to make sure we do the correct selection for those who applied. People who do not have education bias also applied so we want to sieve all of that.
“Right now, we have opened our portal so we can invite the applicants for interview which will be done in various centres in the state. We are working under the directive of the governor to give employment to 2,500 teachers.
“Soon, the final selection will be done and people will get their appointments. It’s not a fresh application; we are working on those who applied earlier. It’s the selection of those eligible for the employment that we are doing, we said we need 5000 but about 46,000 applied which is why it is delaying.
“After the selection, they will be invited for an examination which will be done using the computer. We don’t want to be biased so we want even JAMB to conduct the final selection so that the qualified people will emerge no matter where they come from as far as they are indigenes of Benue State.”
According to him, the rumours about the jobs already been given to preferred applicants was mere political talk. He noted that there was a list sent to the board from the Civil Service Commission some times ago which was a nationwide programme and those people on the list were accepted by the board.
