By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has reassured that job recruitments under his administration would be based on merits not where candidates hail from.
The governor, who disclosed this in Awka, while handing over appointment letters to 5000 newly employed teachers, also ruled out recruitments by political recommendations (connections/IM).
According to him, transparency would be a watchdog for securing jobs in the State so as to ensure that Anambra residents access quality, best of education and other values accruing therein.
"Only merit can get anyone a placement in the recruitment exercise. The phenomenon of well-placed persons being given “slots” to nominate candidates for recruitment should never happen. To demonstrate my commitment to this, I instructed that even if I were to give them any name(s) for employment, they should throw such away.
"State of origin was not a disqualifying factor. Our children need the best teachers irrespective of where they come from, and I understand that many candidates are not indigenes of Anambra State. Teaching is not just a job, it is a vocation and no one should be employed as a teacher on any consideration other than merit.
" I have only one criterion for recruiting a teacher and that is to ask: “Will I be proud for this person to teach my child?” Everyone wants the best teacher for his/her child, and we should never in good conscience sacrifice the future of a generation on the altar of favoritism. As the Governor of Anambra, I do not have any “slot”, not one!
"Yes, I was informed that the team had several other selection criteria including: considerations for core subjects; spread among the local governments; hard to reach locations; needs of special/technical colleges; etc. My instruction was that merit should be the only consideration among candidates even within these categories," he noted.
Soludo while charging newly employed teachers on professionalism, commended the State ministry of education and its affiliate agencies, teachers, parents and other stakeholders for contributing towards it successful outcome.