OPEN LETTER TO GOV. ABIOLA AJIMOBI

By a diligent OyoKopa
Your excellency Sir, I put forward this letter to you on behalf of the over 70% of Oyo state Corps members serving under the Teaching Service Commission(TESCOM).

It is worthy of note, that the 2016 Batch A stream 1 Corps members resumed to their Place of Primary Assignment(PPA) on 14th of May 2016. Many of us having gotten our posting letters, found out we would be spending the next 11 months in a school, and were glad because the school happens to be the major institution where Corps members often have enough work to do. We were glad because we would be motivating and modelling the coming generation as teachers.

We started the work with passion, despite so many factors contributing to the unwillingness of the students to learn. We tried on our part, to bring about the zeal in the students.

The economic situation no doubt contributed to the lack of motivation of students to learn. Some of us had to give the students from the stipends we get from the federal government.

Some Corps members even pay lesson fees for some of the students who get beaten by the teachers everyday because they could not afford the fee, despite the fact that they are not at fault for having poor parents.

Some Corps members had to trek some kilometers to their school after exhausting the stipends they earn.

It is no doubt, that Corps members who serve in schools are the most hardworking. After spending hours in class, and marking over 150 note books in a day, after writing weekly lesson notes and filling the diaries on a weekly bases, we are sad to inform your Excellency Sir, that the little stipend of #4000 that this Corp members are entitled to as the state allowance is being squandered by some elements of forces in the Teaching Service Commission(TESCOM).

Your Excellency Sir, we are aware of the economic situation that led to the delay in the payment of our money by the state. We are equally aware of how you have been paying 2 months arrears in order to meet up with the latest month. The Corps members are also aware that our state allowance for the month of may to September have been signed by your Excellency, but we are sad to inform you that only last night (28/2/2017) we got the September allowance after several complaints. We are certain that our allowance for May, June,July and August is now lying in a safe of one of the TESCOM directors, just like our former NNPC DG.

Your Excellency Sir, our colleagues in the ministries and other parastatals have gotten their allowance from May to September but that of the teachers is been squandered by another senior officer who is likely to be a former Teacher but now a director in the TESCOM office.

Your Excellency Sir, very soon we will be passing out and it will not be good for those of us who are committed to our duty to leave the service year with a bad impression that the teaching profession is the worst of all.

Your Excellency Sir, TESCOM officials once told some of us that our June and July allowance is already in bank and would be paid the following week (2nd week of January), up till now we are yet to see it.
Your Excellency Sir, this has been happening for a while but enough is enough, enough of misrepresenting the government.

Your Excellency Sir, we believe in you and we are optimistic that the allowance which is our right will get to our respective accounts soonest, especially before we pass out.

Yours faithfully

A diligent corps member for all TESCOM corps members.