The publisher of The Policy and Lawmakers Magazine, Prince Bolarin Friday Ogungbemi, has called on the Kogi State Government to urgently address what he described as long-standing gaps in the state’s education policy, citing a decade-long teacher recruitment freeze and a running dispute over school graduation ceremonies.
Speaking at a press conference in Lokoja on Tuesday, Ogungbemi said Kogi State had not carried out a major recruitment exercise for teachers in almost ten years, despite what he called a dire shortage of manpower across the state’s secondary schools.
Recruitment Shortfall
According to figures cited by Ogungbemi, the State School Board identified a need for about 9,979 additional teachers in 2022. Of the 3,979 posts approved for recruitment under the previous administration, only around 1,108 teachers were eventually hired, and roughly 200 of them later resigned over poor conditions of service. He said the ranks have since been further thinned by retirements and deaths in service.
Ogungbemi appealed to Governor Usman Ododo to complete the recruitment of the remaining 2,871 teachers originally approved by former Governor Yahaya Bello, noting that the sector’s overall shortfall now stands at close to 9,948 teachers. He said the last recruitment exercise in the primary education sector dated back to 2014, leaving many primary schools barely functioning and increasingly reliant on private schools to fill the gap. He urged the governor to lift the state and local government employment freeze.
Olowa Abduction and the “Miracle Centre” Dispute
The publisher also referenced the recent abduction of four people from Government Secondary School (GSS), Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area, which occurred during the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations. The four — school principal Elder Daniel Iyamaa, NECO ad-hoc official Solomon Audu, and NECO candidates Miss Dorcas Sunday and another candidate identified only as Miss Dorcas — were rescued unhurt following a multi-agency security operation, according to the state government.
A disagreement has since emerged between the Kogi State Government and NECO over the status of the school. State officials, including Commissioner for Information and Communications Kingsley Fanwo, described GSS Olowa as an unaccredited “miracle centre.” NECO rejected that characterisation, with its Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, stating that the school had presented candidates for the council’s examinations since the year 2000 and was a legitimate public institution owned by the state government.
NECO released enrollment figures to support its position, showing the school presented 21 candidates in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 40 in 2024 and 20 in 2025, with 28 candidates registered for the 2026 SSCE. The council added that the state government had paid WASSCE examination fees for 51 candidates from the school this year, and noted that both abducted staff members — Iyamaa and Audu — are serving Kogi State civil servants. NECO called on public officials to verify facts before issuing statements that could damage institutional reputations or cause public anxiety.
Ogungbemi said he would not take a position on the dispute, noting that “everyone has his or her choice in taking a position on any matter.”
Graduation Ceremony Ban
Separately, Ogungbemi drew attention to the Kogi State Ministry of Education’s reaffirmed ban on graduation ceremonies, first circulated on July 3, 2026, in a memo signed by Salami Ere Mathew, Director of Basic and Secondary Education. The directive bars nursery, Primary 6 and JSS 3 pupils from holding graduation ceremonies, citing the Kogi State Education Law 2020, though SSS 3 students may still hold a “Speech and Prize-Giving Day” if conducted modestly and without added costs to parents.
The ministry said it was aware some schools were attempting to bypass the ban by rebranding events as “Graduation Thanksgiving Ceremonies,” and warned that a change of name does not exempt such events from the policy. A follow-up statement issued July 14, 2026, and signed by Commissioner for Education Wemi Jones, reaffirmed that the ban remains in force.
Ogungbemi characterised the policy as disproportionately targeting private schools, which he noted already pay various taxes to the state government. He also questioned the equity of the government’s examination-fee support, pointing out that private school pupils are required to sit for Basic 3, NECO and ministry mock WASSCE examinations at their parents’ expense, while the government covers such fees only for public school students.
Appeal to the Governor
Ogungbemi closed his statement with an appeal to Governor Ododo to review and reinforce education policy in the state, with particular emphasis on the recruitment of qualified teachers.
