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Tag: hardship in nigeria

  • 6,700 applicants jostle for 380 teaching jobs in Enugu

    6,700 applicants jostle for 380 teaching jobs in Enugu

    6,700 applicants jostle for 380 teaching jobs in Enugu

    Enugu Teacher Applicants writing exams

    Applicants writing teaching recruitment exam in Enugu on Saturday.

     

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    No fewer than 6, 700 applicants were currently jostling to take up 380 teaching jobs at various Secondary Schools in Enugu State.

     

    The News Agency of Nigeria correspondent who monitored the examination on Saturday in some of the designated centres for the examination, reports that the applicants turned out in large numbers.

     

    The Chairman, Enugu State Post Primary School Management Board, Fr. Hilary Mgbodile, told NAN that the board received more than 12,000 applications.

     

    He said that out of the number, 6,700 people were shortlisted for the 380 positions needed to replace those who had retired.

     

    Mgbodile disclosed that five centres namely Union Boys Secondary School, Queen School, Enugu, Holy Rosary College, College of Immaculate Conception and Trans Ekulu Girls Secondary School,

    Enugu were selected as the venue for the examinations.

     

    He said that the shortlisted applicants were being tested in English, Information Communication Technology, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.

     

    According to him, over 2,000 applied to teach English while in ICT, the board needs only 80 but 1,700 applied for the subject.

     

    “So we are picking the best of the best which is the only consideration and parameter for the selection of the teachers,” he said.

     

    He added that after the test and the needed competent teachers were not found, the board would call for another application, stressing that he was optimistic that with the number of applicants, the board would get the qualified ones.

     

    “We cannot lower the standard because we cannot get what we want.

     

    “The recruitment is being done by PPSMB but in order to reduce pressure and to ensure meritocracy and absolute objectivity, we decided to seek the assistance of an independent recruiting company,” Mgbodile said.

     

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    On why they dropped a large number of applicants, he noted that after sorting out the applications, it was noted that some were non-indigenes and some were over-aged as they pegged the age requirement at 45 years.

     

    “While some did not have the requisite qualifications for the subject they intend to teach, those that studied Social Studies may apply to teach English which is not compatible,” he said.

     

    The chairman also said that those people who were awaiting their statements of result and others who could not provide their certificates were excluded from the examination.

     

    Explaining the idea behind the recruitment, the chairman said the board observed upon assumption of office in 2023, that Secondary Schools in Enugu were lacking teachers, especially in the rural areas.

     

    He said that at the instance of Gov. Peter Mbah’s directive, the board posted some teachers from the urban to the rural areas.

     

    “As we were doing that, we discovered that we lacked teachers in some key subjects like sciences and other core subjects.

     

    “We made a recommendation to Gov Mbah on the need to recruit teachers to fill the shortfalls of science teachers which he approved.

     

    “That is why we want to recruit competent professionals who studied Engineering, to teach Chemistry.

     

    “I want to restore the legacy of teaching and learning and make it easier for parents to stop borrowing while taking their children to private and mission schools.

     

    “I want to restore confidence in the public schools and Mbah is a pathfinder in this regard and we want to follow his mantra,” he said.

     

     

     

  • Hardship: We’re out to guard against artificial price hike of commodities – Kano anti-graft chair

    Hardship: We’re out to guard against artificial price hike of commodities – Kano anti-graft chair

    Hardship: We’re out to guard against artificial price hike of commodities – Kano anti-graft chair

    The chairman of the Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission, Bar. Muhyi Rimingado said the commission is all out to guard against artificial price hikes of commodities to mitigate sufferings of the peopl.

     

    Rimingado, who made this known while addressing a press conference at the commission’s headquarters, said it received a series of complaints from residents of the state about the hike in bread prices by bakers despite the reduction in price of flour bags and has swung into action to ascertain the genesis, whether it is artificial or other factors.

     

    He said the commission, upon engaging the bread bakers, was informed that it initially reduced the price of bread but claimed that within two days, flour dealers increased the price of flour bags by N5,000.

     

    He said the commission is mediating between the parties to ensure that the right thing is done and to also ensure that the price hike is not artificial in order not to put untold hardship on the people.

     

    The chairman, however, said the commission is working round the clock to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the increment and also plans to beam it search light on other commodities in order to mitigate the sufferings of the people.

     

    According to him, “As you rightly know, the commission has dual mandate, we are the anti-corruption agency and also the ombudsman, and it ensures that there is no hardship melted on the public.

     

    “From last week to early this week, we received series of complains from members of the public that there is a reduction of about N12,000 in the price of bag of flour, but the bakers of bread did not follow suit by reducing the prices of bread.

     

    “We reached out to the bread bakers, and we were made to know that they have reduced price of bread, but they also complained that within last two days the dealers increase the money (N5,000) per bag. That it was sold for around N60,000, but now N62,000 and N65,000. We intend to bring the traders and bakers together, and the commission will come in between to know what is happening.

     

    “We always and periodical find ourself engaged in this activities because we (Nigerian society) are passing through a series of challenges and the major one is food price hike which is bedeviling the strata of the society. And we will extend it to other commodities. Because we have been gathering intelligence aftermath of measures we (the commission) have taken previously.

     

    “We didn’t just fold our arms but we have been monitoring the situation, and we are aware that to some extent prices of commodities do change. But we are following the trend to know what is the genesis. Take for instance, that within two days, N5,000 was added in a bag of flour. Then we will ask who is doing this to the country? And what is the genesis? Is it artificial? If it is artificial, who is behind it? Because we are acting on behalf of the government based on the request of the people.

     

    “And we will do whatever it takes within the purview of the law to make sure that we mitigate the suffering of the people even if we will engage in extraordinary measures that we use to apply before. Secondly, we will make sure we protect the rights and interest of those involved in that kind of business.

     

    “They want to the government to act and mitigate the suffering of the people. This is what we have been doing and we have results.

     

    “We did it recently before the month of Ramadan when we went after those hoarding essential commodities and bring down the prices of the commodities for the people, even the Federal government from the Presidency urged other state governors to emulate Kano because of what the state government through this commission did.

     

    “We also did it during the COVID-19 pandemic and fuel scarcity. So it is something we have tested before,” Rimingado, however, maintained.