By John Ugo, Awka
The Anambra’ state Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo on Thursday debunked reports that he sacked over one thousand qualified teachers in the state.
Hundreds of teachers employed by the past administration of Chief Willie Obiano had protested to the State House of Assembly and Government House Awka on Wednesday over their sack by the government of Prof. Soludo.
Soludo had also asked teachers in the state to write a test with the aim of recruiting an estimated 5, 000 new teachers, an exercise that has become controversial.
But Soludo in a statement by his Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Aburimen, in Awka the state capital refuted the claim that the administration sacked 1000 qualified teachers.
He said that no qualified teacher has been sent packing in the State.
According to him, efforts were being made to reposition the education sector of the State.
“The attention of Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has been drawn to publications on protest by Teachers engaged by the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) purportedly converted to permanent staff in Anambra state schools that were sacked by his administration.
“The affected PTA teachers who were “converted” to the school system in the last days of the last administration in an irregular, hazy circumstances, were only asked to regularize their employment with the government by taking part in the online teachers’ recruitment test initiated by the state.
“Teachers all over the world are recruited through a serious and systematic pedagogical-based process. The “conversion” method is rather new to the teaching field and is totally unacceptable in the State.
“The idea is to ensure that only those with requisite qualifications, proven capacity and commensurate experiences are recruited into the system. It is not to witch-hunt anybody or take away anybody’s job.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no qualified teacher in the state’s school system has been relieved of his/her appointment.
“The government is rather repositioning the education sector according to standard practice and in line with the objectives of the Soludo administration.”
Aburime urged members of the public to ignore any mischievous or unfounded publication on the matter.
The statement added that,”At all times, Prof Soludo means well for the good people of Anambra State and will stop at nothing in giving them the best, education inclusive.”