Politics

Kwara LG Polls: Teachers resign to contest

 

Joke Adeniyi-Jackson

As the race for the 2017 Local Government Elections in Kwara State, heightens, a number of teachers in the state have penned their resignation to contest elective positions, National Pilot can report.

It was gathered that most of those who have resigned are targeting to become councillors in their various councils under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The civil service rule requires that anyone who intends to contest elective positions must tender resignation before nomination or primaries by political parties.

The election had been scheduled to hold on November 18, 2017 by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) even as nomination process of the APC has commenced at various wards.

This medium was able to confirm, yesterday, from reliable sources in the civil service not authorised to speak to the media, of the resignation of no fewer than three teachers; two from the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) and another from the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

They are Mr. Olugbenga Kareem Suleiman (TESCOM) aspiring for councillorship of Odo-Owa Ward II; one Mr. Tomiwa (SUBEB) from Ifelodun Local Government Area and another TESCOM staff from Moro Local Government, whose names could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report.

Efforts to get identities of other teachers who have quitted their jobs for the election met with brick wall as officials approached were unwilling to give information.

“Quite a number of teachers in the Teaching Service Commission have submitted their resignation letters and it is believed that many more will follow same path.

“What I cannot say is if they resigned or applied for early retirement in order not to forfeit benefits such as pension,” one of the sources divulged.

When contacted for his reaction, yesterday, the Chairman, state TESCOM, Hon Abdulrasaq Ibrahim declined comment and demanded that the reporter go through bottleneck procedures to get the needed information.

In his reaction, the Chairman, KWSUBEB, Alhaji Ladi Hassan said he was yet to be informed of resignation of any of his staff.

According to him, no letter of resignation has been passed to his desk by any staff aspiring for elective position.

He stated that the Civil service rule is clear on the issue that any public servant that wish to contest for election must duly resign before nomination.

“I am unaware of the development as I am yet to get any letter of resignation on my table. Maybe those that are interested are dilly dallying because they are not sure they can win. So, they may not make the request formal.

“I may not be able to say much about it until the nomination process closes when we will be able to get clearer picture. You will have to wait till then,” he added.

The SUBEB boss however sounded a note of warning that any of its staff whose resignation had been processed and approved would not be absorbed back.

“There are cases of people who have served in elective positions and yet want to come back into the system. But, we have made it clear that it is not possible as it is against civil service rule,” he explained.

 

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