Kwara: Drama as Shortlisted Applicants For Teaching Jobs Fail Drug Test
- At least eight applicants of the 1,800 shortlisted for Kwara Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) jobs have tested positive for outlawed drugs
- The chairman of Kwara Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Bello Abubakar, said the applicants lost their slots to the next best candidate in the exercise
- Abubakar shared that the eight shortlisted candidates were tested for hard drugs such as benzodiazepine, tramadol, cotinine, and amphetamine, 'which are considered unsafe for human health'
Legit.ng correspondent Atanda Omobolaji has over 3 years of experience covering metro.
Ilorin, Kwara state - At least eight applicants who were earlier shortlisted for teaching positions in the Kwara State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) have failed drug tests and consequently lost their job offers.
This was announced in a statement released on Monday, April 14, by The TESCOM chairman, Bello Taoheed Abubakar, obtained by Legit.ng.
Source: Original
Abubakar noted that the affected individuals tested positive for outlawed substances, including benzodiazepine, tramadol, cotinine, and amphetamine, during the mandatory screening exercise conducted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The TESCOM boss explained:
“A major implication of this development is that the affected individuals will be replaced by the candidates who are next to them in performance from their respective local government areas.
“The idea is to send an unmistaken message about the state government’s zero tolerance for drug abuse. We have a duty of care not to expose little children to drug abuse under any circumstance.”
He added that the exercise was carried out with the full support of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who had earlier insisted that the recruitment must be based strictly on merit and free of any political or personal interference.
His words:
“Again, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has etched his name in gold for again insisting that recruitment into the teaching profession should be strictly meritorious and devoid of any practices that may jeopardize quality learning in our schools. He (Governor AbdulRazaq) has also proven that he is a man who is sold to giving every Kwaran a fair chance.”
Legit.ng learnt that the drug test, which began on April 9 and ended on April 12, was part of a broader strategy by the Kwara government to ensure that only qualified and sound-minded individuals are employed to teach in the state’s secondary schools.
The test was coordinated by the special assistant to the governor on drug abuse, prevention and control, Mukail Olamilekan Aileru.
As previously announced, 1,800 applicants were shortlisted from a competitive process that included online applications, computer-based testing, and interviews.
Source: Original
The list includes 790 candidates to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, 581 for core subjects, 370 for specialised subjects, and 59 for technical subjects.
The TESCOM noted that the affected individuals will be replaced by the next best performers from their respective local government areas, in line with the commission’s commitment to fairness and transparency.
Kwara recruitment: Applicants speak out
Meanwhile, the development has sparked reactions from some applicants who claim they were initially shortlisted but later discovered their status changed on the recruitment portal.
Usman Ridwanullahi, one of the applicants, stated that his congratulatory message mysteriously changed to rejection 'without any proper explanation' from TESCOM.
Ridwanullahi said:
“I was one of Kwara TESCOM 2025 recruitment applicants where I scored 70% in the CBT exercise and subsequently attended the interview. But today when the news of the shortlist was broadcast, I quickly checked my portal and I saw ‘you have been shortlisted for employment’ but three hours later when I revisited the portal I saw another thing which is ‘you have not been shortlisted.’”
Another applicant, Akanbi Funsho also expressed his concern.
He said:
“Infact, the same issue here. 80% in CBT and 48 over 50 in Interview... I do not understand why I did not get the job eventually.
"People are saying it's a glitch and I don't agree with them. I scored 80% and I was commended during the physical interview. I logged in, I saw ‘you have been shortlisted’ then later it changed to ‘you are not shortlisted’ one day later."
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Kwara residents make demand amid fatal accidents
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that residents and travellers renewed their calls for urgent safety measures in Oko Olowo area of the Ilorin-Jebba Expressway, Kwara state following yet another fatal accident that claimed two lives.
The Kwara highway is a linking route that connects many southern states with northern states in Nigeria.
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Source: Legit.ng
Ridwan Adeola (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content creator with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation. He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion. Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng.
Atanda Omobolaji (Kwara State Correspondent)
