Return to your LGUBEAs – Oyo govt orders ‘floating teachers’

By Adejayan Gbenga –

The Oyo State Government has ordered 202 teachers, who were not successfully integrated into the Post-Primary Schools Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), to return immediately to their respective Local Government Universal Basic Education Authorities (LGUBEAs).

Chairman of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OYOSUBEB), Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, issued the directive during a meeting with Education Secretaries from all 33 LGUBEAs. He warned that the affected teachers—referred to as “floating teachers”—risk having their salaries suspended if they fail to comply.

Dr. Adeniran explained that while some of the teachers lacked the qualifications required for TESCOM integration, others were not absorbed due to limited available positions. In October 2022, the previous administration had seconded about 2,000 primary school teachers to TESCOM, but only a fraction was formally integrated.

Despite being excluded, the remaining 202 teachers have allegedly refused to return to their original LGUBEAs or report to OYOSUBEB, a situation the board considers unacceptable.

Adeniran criticized their continued absence from duty posts while still drawing salaries, calling it a drain on government resources. He emphasized that such actions amount to misconduct.

He further noted discrepancies between the actual number of active teachers and those listed on the OYOSUBEB payroll. Governor Seyi Makinde had earlier directed in 2022 that unabsorbed teachers return to OYOSUBEB, a directive now being openly ignored.

To resolve the issue, the OYOSUBEB chairman ordered the immediate collation of the names and LGUBEAs of the 202 affected teachers to streamline administrative action and ensure accountability.

In a related development, Dr. Adeniran announced the rollout of the School-Based Management Committee – School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP), in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). The programme aims to enhance community involvement, promote transparency in fund allocation, and improve access to quality learning materials.