The Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) has inaugurated a committee to review the posting of 5,300 newly recruited teachers by the State Government, with a focus on ensuring fairness and proximity to home, especially for married applicants who make up about 80% of the workforce.
Executive Chairman of ASUBEB, Lady Lydia Onuoha, disclosed this on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia. She announced that the newly recruited teachers are expected to resume duties on September 1, 2025.
Onuoha said the review was necessary to guarantee equitable deployment, noting that the board aims to assign teachers to schools close to their residences, particularly considering the high number of married women among the new hires.
“We are working to ensure that applicants are posted to schools very close to where they reside. We have a large percentage of applicants that are married women, which makes it difficult to post this group far from their families,” she explained.
She also revealed that a dedicated helpline has been launched to enable affected teachers to submit their concerns and assured them that Governor Alex Otti has approved special provisions for those who may be posted to remote or hard-to-reach areas.
In addition, she noted that local government areas that did not receive applications during the recruitment exercise would receive special attention during the posting process to ensure no area is left understaffed.
Addressing the issue of school security, Onuoha announced that the Governor has also approved the recruitment of security personnel for schools, to be coordinated with the involvement of Local Government Mayors.
The stakeholders’ meeting was attended by Education Secretaries from the 17 LGAs, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity Ferdinand Ekeoma, Senior Special Adviser on Basic and Secondary Education Kenechukwu Nwosu, representatives of Local Government Chairmen, the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), led by its Chairman, Isidore Ibebuike.
Also speaking at the meeting, ASUBEB Secretary and Chairperson of the Teachers Recruitment Committee, Dr. (Mrs.) Uzoamaka Amah-Mba, reaffirmed the integrity of the recruitment and initial posting process, stressing that no form of payment was demanded from applicants.
Meanwhile, Governor Otti’s aides—Ekeoma and Nwosu—reiterated the Governor’s commitment to the welfare of teachers and the improvement of educational standards across Abia State.
