Osun state governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has surrendered to pressure from two of the state workers to rescind his order for their redeployment. The posting of two members of Osun State Broadcasting Corporation, OSBC, had recently generated reactions and condemnation of government by lovers of the two staff , forcing the state government to rescind its decision.
The affected persons, Mr. Adeyemi Aboderin, who is also the state chairman, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Mrs. Tunrayo Ayegbayo, the state chairperson of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) raised storm among the media space in the state. The duo of Aboderin and Motunrayo are workers in the television newsroom of OSBC. A circular Ref.No.DMD.306/28 dated 12th of April, which originated from the office of the Head of Service (Public Service Office), signed by K N Akintola for the Permanent Secretary was entitled “Formal Secondment of Some Public Servants with Educational Qualifications to The State Teaching Service.”
While Tunrayo was posted to Osogbo Government High School, Aboderin was posted to Community Middle/High School, both in Osogbo. The list contained 71 names of civil servants reportedly drawn from various ministries, agencies, establishments and parastatals. It was gathered that the screening for the postings were done two years ago at the Civil Service Commission, opposite NECO office, Osogbo. A source told our correspondent that, “this is because the teaching service needed more teachers and the government decided to take those already in the civil service system, who had education certificate, as teachers instead of employing new set of teachers.
” The source said the state government lacked the capacity to employ teachers from outside due to its inability to pay salary of serving workers. The news of the duo of Aboderin and Tunrayo was widely reported, portraying government and leaders of OSBC as intentionally witch-hunting the workers. It was gathered that those affected by the transfer in other ministries have reported to their place of posting.
The chairman of Osun state Broadcasting Corporation management board, Mr. Kola Akanji, announced the reversal of the step at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Council Press Centre, Osogbo on Monday, saying the deployment was done in error and had to be corrected immediately. Akanji, who spoke at the formal opening of the 2018 Press Week of Osun NUJ council, urged newsmen to always uphold the ethics of the profession.
