By Charles Ademolaju
The 2022/2023 promotion exercise for teachers and allied staff of public secondary schools in Ekiti State took off in Ado Ekiti, with a charge to the beneficiaries to conduct themselves in a manner that would make the exercise free from rancour and unnecessary elongation.
Addressing the beneficiaries at the Ola-Oluwa Muslim Grammar School, Ado Ekiti centre of the exercise, the Chairman of the Teaching Service Commission, Mrs Rhoda Ojo, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Michael Boluwade commended their perseverance, adding that their maximum cooperation would fast track the issuance of their letters as well as the early enjoyment of the financial benefits.
Mrs Ojo said the arrangements put in place for the conduct of the exercise would guarantee every deserving officer the right to be promoted based on merit.
She disclosed that a unit, with competent personnel has also been constituted to handle all complaints to ensure no one is short changed for whatever reason.
Some of the labour leaders present at the venue commended the board and management staff of the commission for a comfortable arrangements made for the beneficiaries, with an appeal to sustain the tempo throughout the 5 days the exercise would last.
Some of the labour leaders present and interviewed are the Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools ASUSS, Comrade Sola Adigun, Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT Chairman, Comrade Bamidele Daodu, ANCOPSS President, Mr Akinbode Oke, Conference of Bursars of Secondary Schools, Mr Fred Oke and Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, Mr Toyin Fagbamila.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to newsmen appreciated the governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji for the approval granted for the conduct of the promotion exercise, despite coming behind schedule, saying that it was better late than never.
They said it would afford them the opportunity to be placed at their appropriate grade levels and steps like their counterparts in the core civil service.
The promotion process, which is mainly credentials documentation and screening started around 9:00 am and will hold in 4 other centres in Ikole Ekiti, Ido Ekiti, Ijero Ekiti and Ikere Ekiti between Tuesday 28th and Friday 31st January, 2022.