By Osondu Ahirika
Finally, after a lot of troubleshooting behind the scene, Governor Udom Emmanuel okayed the inevitable at the eleventh hour. Five thousand teachers recruited in the twilight of the last administration were given the marching order.
Back on October 20, 2015, Governor Udom Emmanuel had approved the constitution of a 5-man Committee to look into the recruitment exercise conducted by the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service Commission in terms of numbers, qualifications, areas of need, and more.
The Committee which was chaired by, then Commissioner for Health, Doctor Dominic Ukpong, also had as members: Commissioner for Education, Aniekan Akpan; Commissioner for Rural Development, Ekong Sampson; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Glory
Edet. A statement which was signed by the Chief Press Secretary To The Governor, Mr Ekerete Udoh, named, the Special Adviser, Bureau of Labour, Productivity and Manpower, Enyinna Ekpeyong, as member and Secretary.
This was beside the internal audit of the recruitment conducted by the Head of Service. They had two weeks to submit their report..
That it has taken this long to act, substantiates and authenticates the fact that, Government in her dilema, on how to deal with these 5000, who have hanged on for so long, found herself in a fox hole on how to manage the sham exercise.
I recall, President Muhammadu Buhari reversed several last minute appointments made by President Goodluck Jonathan including that of Nigeria Ports Authourity Managing director, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), while a coalition of lawyers and The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, pressed on President Muhammadu Buhari, to
Cancel all recruitments made by Jonathan in five years, descibing the process as tainted. This usually happens when a new Government takes over and is confronted with a myriad of problem laden last gap measures of the preceeding administration. That's where Governor Emmanuel found himself and it is no use politicizing it.
The cancellation of that exercise stoked so much disquiet and rage in some quarters. Albeit and simultaneously, in considerably greater measure, Governor Emmanuel received commendations for the courageous and bold decision, which summoned incredible political will to execute.
Try as they may to politicize the matter, with some people daring fire and brimstone as penalty for the governor come 2019, when he will be up for re-election, an overwhelming majority have endorsed the governor and buoyed him to keep charge, and trudge forward.
Did you ask me how I arrived at that conclusion? Well, that is the parable of the 5000. There we go again. I am certain, you have heard or read the epic story of the feeding of the 5000 by Jesus Christ in the Bible. Dust it up, perchance you haven't read the Holy for weeks now and flip to Luke chapter 9:12-17.
Though, in fact, the total number of people fed was much larger, since 5,000 identifies the number of men present. The plot of the story is simple. Thousands of people gathered in a “remote place” where Jesus was teaching and healing them. When it came time for the evening meal, Jesus observed they had stayed with him so long, and charged that, they be fed.
There was nothing for people to eat,
other than five loaves of bread and two
fish offered by a lad. It was akin to having Economic recession.
From these, however, Jesus was
able to provide surplus food for the whole crowd. He miraculously multiplied the quantity of food so that everyone was well fed and there were twelve baskets of leftovers.
Not unlike Jesus’ healing miracles, his
feeding of the crowd manifestly demonstrates his compassion for human beings and their needs.
As a student of Literature and the Bible, I do not joke with numbers and twists of fate. Accordingly, I am curious, there is some significance in the number 5000, being the exact number of the recruited teachers, whose appointments have been nullified. Keep in mind, those appointment letters are Meal Tickets.
That's what my father calls them and I couldn't agree more. Only that, while the Five thousand in the Bible were fed, these teachers protest that, food has been taken away from them.
There is goodnews however. The 5000 are not without HOPE. Governor Udom Emmanuel, in a characteristic gesture of humanity, compassion, care and charity has offered them a lifeline.
Before I discuss the lifeline, it is needful we discuss how we arrived at this sorry pass.
In a chat with newsmen, Governor. Emmanuel disclosed that, "... the foundation for the recruitment of the five thousand teachers was faulty and did not follow the due process(two different Committees set up to review the exercise faulted it in their separate reports) as some of the appointment letters were issued through a dubious syndicate who took advantage of some loopholes to hijack the recruitment by issuing fake appointment letters to unsuspecting and desperate applicants."(I remember the outcry and hoopla in the media over perceived irregularities, lopsidedness, racketeering in the recruitment procedure at that time)
Governor Udom Emmanuel further stated, "Let me clear here that we have tried to regularise the appointment, believe me it was on a wrong foundation. We need to look at the background of the applicants to ensure that they have the right qualification and had gone through the right process.(We know for sure that, the process, back then, was rigged and compromised as politicians took advantage of it during the heat of election season and infiltrated the list with surrogates).
Then, he restored genuinely dashed hopes, with the pledge of another recruitment exercise and these words, "I am assuring the 5000 people that the recruitment exercise will start with them. They don’t need any other paper to participate in the test other than the "appointment letter ". This is what they would use to justify their appointment".
Howbeit, to the fake recruits, whose dubious entry caused this stalemate, Governor Emmanuel declared, "I can boldly say that those carrying the fake employment letters got it from a syndicate that has been squashed because I can’t understand how qualified teachers would kick against participating in a test for the regularization of their employment. We are above partisanship in everything we do especially when it involves the future of our children..."
That said, the 5000 are certain, they can still have their 'bread and fish', if they are with genuine certificates and requisite teaching qualification, as well as, pass the aptitude test to be conducted by a professional examination body as stated by the governor..
It was disappointment for those who started blackmailing the governor with threat of undermining his second term come 2019. For these, Governor Emmanuel said, without mincing words, that, he would not be intimidated by sentiments to compromise standard with mediocrity.
While some people were nursing fears that, this hard decision may take its toll on the governors popularity, a surprise was in the offing.
Akwa Ibom Youths in their thousands(over 5000) thronged the Government House in Uyo after marching through major streets of the state capital in a show of solidarity and support for Governor Emmanuel on November 3, 2016. This came barely 5 days after the cancellation of the 5000 teachers appointment was announced.
Led by Youth leaders, including the Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Matters, Comrade Aniefiok Iwa Udofia, the PDP State Youth Leader, Comrade Enobong Harry and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Grassroot Political Mobilization, Hon. Isantim Kenneth Okon, the youths who sang solidarity songs and danced cheerfully, acknowledged the efforts of the governor in equipping the youths for the future through investment in training over 5000 youths, distributed as follows:
(I) 3000 Akwa Ibom youths on ICT
(ii)200 youths on poultry farming in. the state
(iii)Train 1, 100 Youths On Skills Acquisition as a special pilgrimage to Israel package
(iv)1000 Akwa Ibom youths on Oracle
Database
(v) 329 Youths In Film Production and photography
(vi) 200 youths for training on power sector development at the National Power Training Institute, Abuja
(vii)to provide 10,000 jobs for youths through Akwa Ibom Enterprise and
Employment Scheme AKEES
It is pertinent to note that, the benefiting Youths, were selected from the 31 local government areas of the state. Little wonder, Governor Emmanuel has won the hearts of the Youths, whose young dreams are sparking up with his youth-friendly initiatives.
That 'I STAND WITH UDOM' (AMI NDA YE UDOM) Youth rally would have been complete, without the indomitable presence of the Paragon of Youth excellence, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Barr Onofiok Luke.
In his habitual flair, eloquence and gift of the garb, Speaker Luke charged the thousands in the procession to continue in their overwhelming support for the governor. Fact is, there is no other state in Nigeria, where youths have is so good at all levels of Governance.
That rally therefore, was a deserving Thank You, to Governor Emmanuel and his party, the PDP, which has thrown up the likes of Ini Emeobong, State Publicity Secretary of the party, Speaker Luke, Hon. Tony Akan, Rt. Hon. Elder Aniekan Uko, Otuekong Enobong Uwah, Hon. Idongesit Ituen, Hon. Emmanuel Ekpenyong and lots more as I could go on and on.
Folks,' that ends my tale on the parable of Five thousand. Five is a number of grace. May Gods grace see the youths and their governor through it all.
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