The Obolo nation comprising of Eastern Obolo, Mbo, Oron, Okobo, Urue Offong/Oruku, and Udunguko Local Government Areas have dragged the Akwa Ibom State Government to court over alleged discrimination in teachers’ recruitment conducted last year into the state public schools.
Joined in the suit marked HU/332/2 as first to fifth respondents are the Executive Chairman of the State Secondary Education Board, the board, the state Commissioner of Education, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and the state governor, Udom Emmanuel.
The communities, through their representatives, Dr, Dressman Romson, Dr Markus Enene and Dr Inyang Eyoita, are praying the court for an interim injunction restraining the first to fifth respondents from continuing, processing and carrying out the recruitment process pending the determination of the motion on notice.
Counsel for the plaintiff, Sunday Afiko, had expressed disappointment with the state government for not showing interest in resolving the matter even as the court has advised on out-of-court settlement.
Speaking with our correspondent on Thursday, Afiko lamented that in the recruitment, all the local government areas in Obolo nation were allocated paltry slots while other councils had between 20 and 70 slots.
“In the last 1,000 teachers’ recruitment, Eastern Obolo was given just four slots, Ibeno eight slots while some local governments like Oron had nine and some of them had up to 20 and above.
“This is very sad as other Ibibio nation had as many as 20 to 70 slots and Ibesikpo Asutan had 79 slots.
“Aside from the slots, now we are asking for the parameters the state government used in giving the employment.
“They had filed their processes alleging that their processes were on merit. But, we have filed our reply challenging the process and now they are saying it was on approved score. And we are saying the approved score is so vague, that is not what to use in quantifying merit.
“Our people took full participation in the process, but, were not given the opportunity, they were marginalised.
He said when the case reached, the court in its wisdom suggested peaceful settlement but, the state government has not responded to the option.
“From what they filed, we just saw that they don’t have any case and the Court in its wisdom said for the interest of the security of the state because of the nature of the matter, we should explore option on peaceful settlement which we were open to such options.
“So, we were open to Attorney General using his good office to say my people come let’s look what is the challenges. SSEB, why didn’t you employ these people?
“We could have chatted a way forward but, they have not done that. We have been the ones pestering them and calling for settlement meetings.
“Today, the court has said okay, since the matter was adjourned for settlement or further mention, we should move forward and take our case,” Afiko added.
Meanwhile, the court presided over by Justice Archibong Archibong due to state government absenteeism, had adjourned the matter to 14th April 2022.
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