Ondo Absorbs 637 Teachers Hit by 2025 Recruitment Lapses

The Ondo State Government has begun issuing appointment letters to 637 newly absorbed teachers, turning a long period of frustration into opportunity for applicants sidelined by irregularities in the 2025 primary school teachers’ recruitment exercise.

The presentation of the letters took place at the headquarters of the Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (ODSUBEB) in Akure. Chairman of the board, Princess Olufunmilayo Ademulegun-Brown, charged the teachers to approach their new roles with discipline, dedication and professionalism while strictly observing the rules and ethics of the teaching profession.

She told the beneficiaries that their absorption was not merely a job offer but a chance to help strengthen teaching and learning in the state’s public primary schools. “Regard this as an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the development of the education sector,” she said, stressing the need for punctuality, regular attendance, thorough lesson preparation and exemplary conduct. Teachers, she added, must serve as role models and prioritise both the academic progress and moral upbringing of the pupils under their care.

Permanent Secretary of ODSUBEB, Princess Abike Bayo-Ilawole, reinforced the message, urging the new teachers to study and comply fully with the board’s operational guidelines. Discipline, diligence and cooperation with officials, she noted, remain essential for effective service delivery.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 637 teachers were among applicants adversely affected by lapses that marred the 2025 recruitment process. Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa had earlier this year directed that qualified candidates who met the requirements but were disadvantaged by the irregularities should be absorbed into the public primary school system. The move followed a verification and interview exercise organised across the three senatorial districts after the governor’s public commitment.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Omotayo Abednego Arogbowei thanked the state government for the opportunity. She pledged that the teachers would work diligently to improve classroom instruction and support the academic and moral development of pupils in public primary schools across Ondo State.

The distribution of the letters forms part of a wider effort by the Aiyedatiwa administration to address teacher shortages and improve staffing levels in basic education. The state had earlier absorbed 1,010 secondary school teachers, while the governor recently approved the recruitment of an additional 1,100 primary school teachers, bringing total new engagements in the education sector to well over 2,000 in recent cycles. Officials have consistently linked these recruitments to the need to improve pupil-teacher ratios, especially in rural and hard-to-reach communities.

For the 637 teachers who waited through the setbacks of the previous exercise, the appointment letters mark the start of formal service in the state’s public primary schools.

Government officials say the absorption both corrects the earlier lapses and injects additional manpower into classrooms at a time when the administration continues to prioritise education under its development agenda.