By OLUSEYE OJO, Ibadan

A total of 156,000 applicants are currently jostling for 10,600 vacancies recently advertised by the Oyo State Post Primary Schools’ Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) for the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching jobs for public secondary schools in the state.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Olasunkanmi Olaleye, disclosed this when he briefed journalists at the end of the meeting of the Executive Council of the state, presided over by Governor Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bashir Bello, and Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice, Prof Oyelowo Oyewo, also briefed journalists during the same encounter.

The executive chairman of TESCOM, Pastor Akinade Alama, had told newsmen at the commencement of the opening of the application forms on Tuesday February 11, this year, that Governor Makinde had approved the recruitment of 7,000 teachers, 2,000 non-teaching staff, and 1,600-night guards for all the secondary schools in the state.

Giving the breakdown of the applicants, Olaleye, stated that a total of 91,000 people applied for teaching jobs and 65,000 for non-teaching jobs, adding that the application had closed on February 24 and the shortlisted candidates for teaching and non-teaching jobs would sit for Computer Based Test (CBT) by next month – April.

“As of today, we have received about 156,000 applications and we are already sorting them out – those who are qualified and those who are not. Those who have the qualifications that we advertised will have to sit for the CBT, which will hold next month.

Some of the centres we want to use are preparing for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). So, we have to wait until April.

“However, I want to tell members of the public that they should not give money to anybody with respect to this recruitment. If anybody tells you he is going to help you if you bring money, don’t give money to him or her because they cannot help you.

“What will help you are your competence, qualifications, and ability to do this job. So, don’t give money to anybody. If anybody comes to you, asking for money, please report the person to us at the Ministry of Education or the police,” Olaleye said.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bashir Bello, who also briefed journalists, stated that the Executive Council of the state had approved the purchase of 10 new ambulances for enhanced healthcare delivery in the state, saying three among the new ambulances would be equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment such that surgeries would be performed in them.

The remaining seven ambulances, according to him, would be well equipped and would be distributed to different zones in the state.

He said the government had written letters to management of hospitals and hotels in the state to be on red alert and provide hand-washing facilities at the entrances of their facilities to guard against the spread of the virus.

Seven special centres have been opened to handle cases of COVID-19, otherwise known as Coronavirus, including State Hospital in Ring Road, Ibadan, Jericho Chest Hospital in Ibadan, University College Hospital in Ibadan, Military Hospital at Odogbo Barracks in Ibadan and Lautech Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso, he added.

Prof. Oyewo, also stated that a bill that is proposing the establishment of the Office of Public Defender in the state would be forwarded to the House of Assembly soon, saying: “The Office of the Public Defender in the state is supposed to complement the federal law on legal aid.

“While legal aid is purely with criminal matters, the Office of the Public Defender provides legal representation and legal advice to indigent citizens of the state. This constitutes parts of the core mandates of this administration, which is justice-sector reform and to inclusivity and equity for all.”

Oyewo, however, said the state would put necessary measures in place for the constitution of a board of Amotekun Corps, the operational guidelines and offices for the security outfit, saying the process should be completed within three months and recruitment of personnel for Amotekun corps would follow. (The Sun)

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