Osun Govt Bows to Pressure as Wole Oke’s Ultimatum Forces Teachers’ Appointment Letters

 

 

The Osun State Government has commenced the issuance of appointment letters to newly recruited secondary school teachers, following a seven-day ultimatum issued by a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dr. Busayo Oluwole Oke.

Hon. Oke, who represents Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency and chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, had on January 14, 2026, publicly challenged the state government over what he described as an “unjustifiable delay” in the recruitment of secondary school teachers and the prolonged retention of application fees collected from thousands of applicants nearly two years ago.

Reacting to reports that Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Dipo Eluwole, to begin issuing appointment letters to the first batch of successful candidates, the lawmaker welcomed the development but insisted that it did not happen by chance.

“This outcome did not occur in isolation,” the Public and Media Communication Unit of Hon. Oke said in a statement. “It is the result of sustained public advocacy, a clear call to action by Hon. Wole Oke, and the collective agitation of affected applicants and concerned citizens across Osun State.”

According to the statement, the federal lawmaker had demanded that within seven days, the Osun State Government must either conclude the stalled recruitment exercise—including the reinstatement of disengaged teachers—or refund all application fees collected and regularise the process in line with extant laws.

While acknowledging the state government’s action, Hon. Oke reiterated that recruitment of secondary school teachers must be transparent, timely and strictly merit-based, adding that teachers who were unjustly disengaged should be fairly reconsidered and properly deployed.

He also restated that the recruitment of primary school teachers falls exclusively under the constitutional responsibility of Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs), stressing that “any collection of application fees outside this legal framework is unlawful and must be fully refunded.”

The lawmaker dismissed suggestions of political motives behind his intervention, describing it instead as a matter of justice and accountability.

“This intervention was never driven by partisan considerations,” the statement read. “It is firmly rooted in the pursuit of justice, fairness and accountability in governance. Government exists to serve the people, and where prolonged inaction inflicts hardship, it is the constitutional duty of elected representatives to act.”

Hon. Oke further urged the Osun State Government to ensure that the recruitment exercise is comprehensive and sustained, rather than a piecemeal response to public pressure, noting that the people of the state deserve a process that restores trust and dignity in public institutions.

He reaffirmed his commitment to defending the interests of his constituents and all law-abiding citizens of Osun State “using all legitimate and constitutional means available.”