By; ODEYEMI SAMUEL, Akure.
The Governor of Ondo state, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has kept fate with Local Government Workers as he has refused to retrench after verification exercise.
It was discovered that holders of National Certificate of Education (NCE), form the bulk of Local Government Workers in spite of the fact that they have nothing doing in such area.
Rather than showing them out of work, Dr. Mimiko decided to send them to primary schools across the state where they could be more productive for the development of the state.
This, it was gathered became necessary since there was pausity of fund to recruit teachers to fill the vacant posts in the state public Primary schools on a two year contract.
It was authoritatively gathered that those of them wishing to continue in teaching are free to remain while others eyeing the office job in the Local Government will have the opportunity to go back.
While reacting to the arrangement, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Ondo state, Chief Micheal Ojo Fanimokun commended the state Governor for adopting such decision with human face.
Chief Fanimokun who expressed his gratitude during a chat with Journalists in Akure, also disclosed that Government has commenced on the job training for the new Teachers since they had initially showed no interest in teaching.
According to Fanimokun, such in-house training will uplift the quality of those NCE teachers who had lost the brief in their initial chosen career.
The NUT boss however urged those found to have no relevant professional teaching qualifications to avail themselves the opportunity to go for courses that could keep them in service since government has refused to retrench them.
Some of the affected Teachers who will not like to be mentioned, expressed gratitude to government for such a gesture while others promised to go back to Local Government service at the expiration of the two year agreement.
