By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Ondo State Government has suspended three senior officials of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) over their alleged involvement in a job scam that rocked the state’s recent teachers’ recruitment exercise.
According to findings, those affected in the alleged job scam include two directors and a deputy director, who have been placed on suspension pending the outcome of a full-scale investigation.
It was also gathered that the state governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who gave the directive, described the development as “regrettable and unacceptable,” stressing that his administration would not tolerate corruption or fraudulent practices in the state’s employment processes.
It will be recalled that the state government recently embarked on a large-scale recruitment of teachers to fill vacancies in primary and secondary schools across the 18 local government areas of the state.
The over 2,000 teachers legitimately recruited by the state government have since resumed work after completing biometric verification.
However, the exercise was marred last week when some individuals staged a protest in Akure, the state capital, alleging that they had been excluded from the verification process despite being issued appointment letters.
The protesters later discovered that their employment and posting letters were forged, and government officials disclosed that the letters were issued by insiders within SUBEB who allegedly connived with external fraudsters to defraud desperate job seekers in exchange for money.
Reacting to the outcry, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, said those who protested were never employed by the state.
“To clarify, those who protested were not employed teachers but applicants defrauded by scammers who issued fake employment and posting letters after collecting money from them.
“These defrauded applicants were identified during the biometric verification process and informed that their letters were fake,” he explained.
Adeniyan added that disciplinary measures had already been taken against three implicated SUBEB officials, while a committee had been set up to investigate the case further. He said the governor has also directed SUBEB to invite the victims of the fraud for a meeting.
The incident generated widespread condemnation among residents, parents, and civil society groups, many of whom are calling for stricter checks in government recruitment processes.
Some of the victims, who spoke with journalists, described their experience as “heartbreaking,” saying they sold personal belongings and borrowed money to pay for the fraudulent offers.
Education stakeholders also warned that such incidents could undermine public trust in the government’s employment exercises if not decisively dealt with.
However, Governor Aiyedatiwa, while reassuring the public of his administration’s commitment to transparency, vowed that those found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
“The integrity of our recruitment processes must be protected at all times. No act of sabotage will be allowed to stand,” he said.
Meanwhile, security agencies are said to be working closely with the investigation committee to trace the external fraudsters who allegedly partnered with the suspended officials.
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