ENUGU GOVERNMENT FACES SEVERE BACKLASH OVER FRESH RECRUITMENT DRIVE FOR 6,580 SMART SCHOOL TEACHERS AFTER ABANDONING PREVIOUS CBT SCREENING EXERCISES

The Enugu State Government, through the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), has officially announced a massive recruitment campaign to fill 6,580 academic, technical, and administrative positions across public primary and junior secondary schools, with primary focus on staffing the state’s 267 Smart Green Schools. According to the public notice signed by ENSUBEB Executive Chairman, Associate Professor Hyginus Okibe Banko, the state is seeking 4,698 core subject teachers, 520 digital librarians, 380 experiential learning innovators, 267 guidance counselors, 267 ICT staff, 267 laboratory attendants, 136 account officers, and 45 technicians. Applicants holding Degrees, Higher National Diplomas, Nigerian Certificates in Education, Ordinary National Diplomas, or Senior Secondary Certificates have been instructed to submit physical applications directly to the ENSUBEB office in Enugu or email compiled PDF applications to [email protected] by Friday, August 14, 2026.

​However, rather than generating public appreciation, the announcement has triggered widespread condemnation and frustration among thousands of young professionals and educators across the state. The source of anger stems from the state government’s decision to completely bypass and abandon the outcomes of previous screening exercises. Between 2023 and last 2024, the Enugu State Ministry of Education and ENSUBEB subjected thousands of applicants to stressful online registrations and mandatory Computer-Based Tests (CBT) hosted on the Edves assessment portal. To write those examinations, job seekers traveled long distances from distant local government areas including Uzo-Uwani, Nsukka, Isi-Uzo, Oji River, Igbo-Eze North, and Awgu to designated examination centers in Enugu metropolis.

​Prominent educational institutions such as the College of the Immaculate Conception (CIC) in Uwani, Holy Rosary College (HRC) in Enugu, and Union Secondary School Awkunanaw (Union Boys) served as bustling CBT hubs where thousands of hopeful candidates queued for hours under harsh weather conditions to write the automated tests. Candidates recall spending their personal savings on transportation, accommodation, and cyber café fees, believing that the technology-driven evaluation would guarantee a merit-based appointment. Despite completing the examinations, receiving automated scores, and awaiting official posting letters, the government kept applicants in suspense for months without releasing transparent employment lists or issuing confirmation letters.

​Public dissatisfaction has intensified as residents accuse the administration of executive inconsistency and administrative deception. Critics contend that if the government had finalized appointments from the earlier examination batches conducted at CIC, HRC, and Union Boys between 2023 and 2024, the successful teachers would have been integrated into the state civil service and earned formal confirmation letters by 2025. Restarting the recruitment process from scratch in mid-2026—with submission deadlines set for August 14 and potential onboarding projected for September or October—is widely viewed as a political maneuver designed to leverage employment promises ahead of the 2027 general elections. Citizens argue that by keeping new hires on unconfirmed, probationary statuses right before the election, the government aims to coerce votes while leaving workers vulnerable to sudden disengagement once electoral goals are achieved.

​Adding an authoritative academic voice to the growing public discontent, a prominent Professor of Psychology at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) who hails from Enugu State strongly condemned the government's approach as institutional exploitation and psychological harassment. The scholar noted that subjecting educated youths to repetitive, uncoordinated recruitment cycles inflicts severe emotional stress, erodes trust in public governance, and damages economic productivity. The professor emphasized that no administration committed to genuine educational reform would discard verified examination results from established testing centers like CIC and HRC only to restart paper and email submissions three years into its tenure.

​As the August 14, 2026 deadline approaches, aggrieved applicants and civil rights groups in Enugu State continue to demand full transparency from ENSUBEB and the Ministry of Education. Stakeholders are calling on Governor Peter Mbah to honor the results of the previous CBT assessments conducted across state centers, prioritize candidates who previously sat for the examinations, and ensure that public employment is not reduced to a political bargaining chip.