Activist Slams Oyo Govt For Mandating Teachers To Pay N7,000 for Appointment Confirmation, Promotion
- Oyo state government has come under fire over a directive mandating teachers to pay N7,000 for appointment confirmation and promotion examinations
- A human rights activist called the payment illegal, describing it as extortion and a violation of civil service rules
- The NUT, however, insisted the fee is compulsory, creating tension between government directives and teachers’ rights
A human rights activist has condemned the decision of the Oyo state government to impose a 7,000 fee on teachers in government schools, who were recruited recently, and those seeking promotion.
Source: Facebook
Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye (Abbey Trosky) spoke exclusively with Legit.ng on the matter and cautioned the state government against promoting illegality.
The state government, through the Office of the Chairman, Post Primary School Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), had earlier informed all teaching and non-teaching staff in the service of the Commission of the 2025 Promotion Exercise.
The TESCOM circular signed by the Chair of TESCOM, Mrs Olubukola, instructed.
“All zonal officers are hereby advised to be properly guided and to take necessary instructions from the Commission.”
“…while it is NOT compulsory, any interested staff should await further instruction on the exercise as sensitisation would commence soon on the exercise hence there is the need for all to rush to pay for any exercise."
NUT as an instrument of implementation
Meanwhile, the necessary instructions indicated in the TESCOM circular were made clear by a statement issued by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo state, indicating that the payment is compulsory for all teachers in Oyo state public schools.
The NUT Chairman, Raji Ismail, and the Secretary in the state, Salami Olukayode, instructed the teachers to pay N7,000.
“In tandem with the official circular released, all affected teachers are hereby enjoined to proceed with the payments of the stipulated Seven Thousand Naira (N7,000) for the seven-paper examination (officer cadre) through the government-authorised account details below on or before Friday, 17th October, 2025: Bank: Zenith Bank: Account Number: 1310601040 (Compulsory Examination Account)”, NUT stated
Activist calls directive "extortion"
Speaking with Legit.ng, Comrade Bamigboye faulted the “imposition” of a fee on the teachers for any reason, describing it as extortion and a violation of the civil service rule.
Source: Original
Bamigboye, who is the Director of Campaign for Democracy and Workers’ Rights, said:
“An attempt to force workers, especially the newly recruited teachers, to pay 7,000 Naira before their appointment can be confirmed as staff of the Oyo state Teaching Service and to force those who have been confirmed to pay 7,000 Naira before they can be allowed to transit from their current level to the next one is nothing but extortion."
“It is a complete violation of the civil service rule because it is the responsibility of the government to provide every necessary condition for a teacher to perform his/her duties, including the responsibility of conducting an exam, whether for promotion or confirmation."
“As a matter of fact, what the Civil Service Rule says is that, at the expiration of the first three (3) months of recruitment, the newly recruited teachers are to be automatically confirmed as the staff of the state civil service without the rigour of writing any exam. No exam should be written.”
While describing the introduction of examination for confirmation of appointment as “dubious means of giving justification to an attempt to extort the newly recruited teachers”, Bamigbose also cautioned the state government and TESCOM to immediately withdraw such a move, saying teachers are not meant to be subjected to any examination before they are confirmed.
However, with respect to those who are seeking promotion, Comrade Bamigbose agreed with the Government on conducting the examination but opposed charging them to pay any money.
"The examination is to ensure that they have been doing what they are expected to do within the period they have been in service."
“But, it should not be an exam where they are meant to pay; it is to assess them to know their expertise in their area of specialisation. Even if any exam is going to be written at all, it is the government that is expected to be responsible for the conduct of the exam, paying their honorarium for the staff that will supervise the exam.”
Oyo TESCOM’s teacher pay under scrutiny
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that weeks after Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) hired new secondary-school teachers across the state, many remain unpaid even after three months on duty.
New teachers say they were forced to open accounts at specific banks, similar to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) style, but the bank-generated accounts were often invalid, delaying salary payments.
Some have finally received parts of their backpay (e.g., two months), while others are still awaiting any payment; calls for prompt and full payment have been directed at TESCOM and the state government.
Source: Legit.ng
