By SHEDRACK FRANK

The Bayelsa Government has assured qualified applicants in the ongoing teachers? recruitment exercise that they will be shortlisted for employment soon.

The Deputy Governor, Mr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the assurance on Wednesday during a meeting with a delegation of aggrieved prospective teachers in Yenagoa.

He stated that the government would ensure that salary arrears were paid to successful applicants who had begun work with the Bayelsa State Post Primary Schools Board before the suspension of the recruitment exercise.

Ewhrudjakpo urged the applicants to remain patient, adding that the government would soon shortlist all those who successfully scaled through the screening process conducted by the verification panel.

He explained that the previous recruitment exercise was marred by irregularities, which did not align with the findings of the needs assessment conducted across the eight local government areas.

Addressing plans for a protest, the deputy governor acknowledged that peaceful protest was a fundamental right of citizens but emphasised the importance of ensuring such actions did not infringe on the rights of others.

Ewhrudjakpo commended the prospective teachers for their patriotism in continuing to render services in schools in spite of the suspension of the recruitment process.

He reaffirmed that all qualified applicants would be deployed to their respective schools before the end of August.

?We assure you that all those who deserved to be employed will be employed.

?Those who worked for six, three and even two months before the exercise was suspended, your salary arrears will be paid, that is what l can assure you, ? he said.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mr Teki Ayebaene said that the planned peaceful protest was to draw the attention of government to their plights.

He expressed concern over the delay in the recruitment of teachers, which he noted involved about 800 applicants in 413 government-owned secondary schools across the state. (NAN)

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