The Akwa Ibom State government has been sued by Obolo nation comprising Eastern Obolo, Mbo, Oron, Okobo, Urue Offong/Oruku, and Udunguko Local Government Areas of the state over its alleged discrimination in teachers’ recruitment exercise conducted last year into public schools.
Joined in the suit no HU/332/2 as first to fifth respondents are the Executive Chairman, Secondary Education Board, the Education Board Itself, Commissioner for Education, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and the Akwa Ibom State governor.
Representatives of the communities, Dr, Dressman Romson, Dr. Markus Enene and Dr Inyang Eyoita prayed the court for an interim injunction restraining the 1-5th respondents by themselves, agents, privies and any other person from continuing, processing and carrying out the recruitment process pending the determination of the motion on notice already filed in the suit.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Sunday Afiko expressed disappointment at the state government for not showing interest in resolving the matter even as the court has advised on a peaceful out of court settlement.
Afiko lamented that in the recruitment exercise, all the local government areas in Obolo nation were allocated paltry slots while other LGAs had between 20 and 70 slots.
“In the last 1000 teachers recruitment, Eastern Obolo was given just four slots, Ibeno eight slots while some local government like Oron had nine and non of them had up to 20 and above. This is very sad as other Ibibio nations had as many as 20 to 70 slots and Ibesikpo Asutan had 79 slots.”
Querying the parameters the state government used in the recruitment exercise, he disclosed that the court has suggested peaceful settlement but the state government has not responded to the option.
The presiding judge, Justice Archibong Archibong adjourned the matter to 14th April 2022, as the state government failed to appear in court.
