The Abia State Government has announced the recruitment of 5,300 teachers who have successfully passed through the recruitment interviews in the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, disclosed this in Umuahia, the state capital, on Tuesday, while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
He revealed that another recruitment exercise would commence soon, as the portal would be opened for the second batch of teachers’ recruitment.
Kanu also said the government approved the recruitment of lecturers of different categories to fill vacant academic positions in critical areas of study in Abia State University, Uturu.
He hinted that the executive also approved the procurement of engineering equipment valued at N800m for ABSU.
He recalled that the governor had promised to renovate the male hostel and a few other structures in the university, and revealed that the hostel renovation would be ready this month, as work had commenced on the new 5,000-capacity hostels.
The commissioner added that the National Universities Commission, after its October/November 2024 accreditation exercise, gave ABSU full accreditation for its programmes, including law, agriculture, mass communication, educational management and planning.
On the Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Kanu said the government had promoted the staff who had remained stagnant since 2008, adding that payment of arrears of salaries of staff of the institution had equally commenced.
He said the results of the second National Institute of Science, Laboratory, and Technology modular practical examination showed that the polytechnic got a 100 per cent pass.
“It is instructive to note that this is the first promotion exercise in the Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic since 2008, making it a morale booster for the institution.
“The results of the second National Institute of Science, Laboratory, and Technology modular practical examination phase 1 show that all 164 students fielded by the school for the exam passed with a success rate of 100 per cent.
“For the modular 2 of the same exam series, 158 students sat the exam and 157 passed. That indicates a success rate of 99 per cent,” he said.
The commissioner added that the polytechnic was undergoing a comprehensive curriculum review, with the production of emerging courses, including Artificial Intelligence.
