‘Offensive’ question: Amosun flayed as sacked teacher keeps mum

Some Nigerians have flayed the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, for the sacking of six workers in the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, including a secondary school teacher, for allegedly setting an offensive examination question.

The sacked workers include two Grade Level 17 officers, former Director, Education Support Services, Mrs. Folashade Oresegun; former Director, Curriculum Development and Evaluation, Mr. Rotimi Odunsi; and a Grade Level 16 officer, Mr. Majekodunmi Oluwole.

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Others are a Grade Level 10 officer, Mr. E.O. Asegbe; a Grade Level 8 officer, Taylor Damilola; and an English Language teacher in Mayflower Secondary School, Ikenne, Mr. Joel Adegbenro.

It was reported that the sacking of both Oresegun and Odunsi had been converted to compulsory retirement, while the four others were summarily dismissed.

The HAPPILYSPREAD had reported that their “offence” might be connected with a comprehension passage in the English Language examination conducted by the ministry for the Unified Examination in Public Secondary Schools for the third term of the 2014/2015 academic session, where pupils were asked to summarise a comprehension passage on policy defect on education. The governor’s action has, however, caused uproar among many Nigerians, who described the sacking as “undemocratic.”

A PUNCH commentator, simply identified as Odeleke, said the governor’s action did not reflect good leadership.

“Amosun is a dictator in the making. The All Progressives Congress should call him to order before he turns the state to his fiefdom,” Odeleke said.

Meanwhile, the teacher sacked alongside the five others, Adegbenro, has declined to comment on his dismissal.

Adegbenro was the examiner in the English Language examination conducted by the ministry for Unified Examination in public Secondary Schools for the third term 2014/2015 academic session.

One of our correspondents met him on Friday at the Abeokuta office of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools and sought his reaction on the dismissal, but he declined.

He said politely, “Please, I don’t want to say anything on the issue. Thank you.”

However, Chairman, ASUSS, Ogun State chapter, Mr. Akeem Lasisi, urged the state government to have mercy on the sacked workers.

He said, “As you are aware, five officers of the state’s Ministry of Education were involved and a teacher from a secondary school in Ogun State.”