OWERRI—Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma has approved the immediate recruitment of 6,030 teachers to strengthen teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools across the state. The recruitment, according to the Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation, and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, is part of the state government’s broader efforts to address manpower shortages and improve the quality of education in Imo State. Emelumba, who disclosed this yesterday, said the newly recruited teachers had already undergone a six-week intensive training program at the state-owned Ben Uwajimogu College of Education, Ihitte, Uboma.
He made it clear that the purpose of the training is to make ready the teachers for their work before they assume their roles in schools across the state. According to the commissioner, the recruitment was primarily undertaken to fill existing vacancies in schools and ensure that shortages of teachers do not create gaps in teaching and learning. He said the exercise would cover schools across the 27 local government areas of Imo State, stressing that the government was focused on ensuring that pupils and students had access to adequate teaching personnel. Emelumba described the recruitment as a major development in the state’s education sector, noting that such a large number of teachers had not been introduced into the school system at the same time in a long while. “This is the first time in a long time that this large number of teachers is being injected into the school system at once,” he said. The commissioner further stated that the governor’s decision to personally address the newly recruited teachers reflected the importance his administration attached to the exercise and to the improvement of education in the state.
He disclosed that Governor Uzodimma would meet with the teachers at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre in Owerri at 10 a.m. today. According to him, the meeting would provide an opportunity for the newly recruited teachers to meet with the governor and receive further direction as they prepare to begin their duties in schools across the state. Emelumba said the engagement was also significant because it would allow the government to communicate directly with the teachers following the completion of their training programme.
He, however, clarified that attendance at the meeting would be restricted to teachers who participated in the six-week training programme held at Ben Uwajimogu College of Education, Ihitte, Uboma. The commissioner encouraged the qualified teachers to be aware of the meeting and be present. The recruitment is coming as part of the state government’s efforts to strengthen the education sector by addressing staffing needs in schools and ensuring that teaching and learning activities are not disrupted by shortages of teachers. With the recruitment covering primary and secondary schools across the state’s 27 local government areas, the government expects the newly trained teachers to contribute to addressing existing vacancies within the school system. Emelumba reiterated that the exercise formed part of the administration’s wider strategy to improve education and strengthen the institutions responsible for delivering learning to pupils and students across Imo State.
