The Ondo State Government has suspended three senior staff members of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) over their alleged role in a recruitment scam linked to the state’s recent teachers’ employment exercise.
The affected officials two directors and a deputy director were placed on suspension pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who ordered the suspension, described the incident as unfortunate and unacceptable, stressing that his administration would not condone corruption or irregularities in recruitment processes.
The state had recently recruited over 2,000 teachers to fill vacancies in primary and secondary schools across the 18 LGAs. Those legitimately employed have since resumed work after completing biometric verification.
Trouble began when some individuals staged a protest in Akure, claiming they had been left out of the verification exercise despite having appointment letters. It was later discovered that their letters were forged, allegedly issued by corrupt SUBEB insiders in collaboration with external fraudsters who collected money from unsuspecting applicants.
Clarifying the situation, the governor’s spokesman, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, explained that the protesters were never part of the official recruitment but victims of fraud. “They were identified during verification as holders of fake letters issued by scammers after collecting money from them,” he said.
Adeniyan confirmed that three SUBEB officials had already been disciplined and that a special committee had been set up to probe the matter further. The governor also directed SUBEB to meet with the victims.
The development has sparked outrage among residents and civil society groups, with many demanding tighter safeguards in government employment exercises. Some victims told reporters they had sold valuables and borrowed money to pay for the fraudulent offers.
Governor Aiyedatiwa reassured the public that transparency remained a priority of his government and vowed that anyone found guilty would face legal consequences. “We will not allow any act of sabotage in our recruitment process,” he declared.
Meanwhile, security agencies are working with the committee to track down the external fraudsters who allegedly partnered with the suspended officials.
