The Ondo State branch of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) and the Office of the Head of Service (HOS) have jointly dismissed recent social media allegations of administrative manipulation within the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), describing them as “misleading, baseless, and mischievous.”
The claims — which alleged that the wife of the Head of Service was influencing TESCOM operations — were labelled a deliberate attempt to politicise normal civil service procedures.
ANCOPSS, in its statement signed by its state leadership, noted that it is neither unprecedented nor abnormal for an Administrative Secretary to head TESCOM. Citing historical precedents, the body stressed that under the current leadership, TESCOM has undergone sweeping reforms anchored on fairness, transparency, and merit.
Key achievements listed include:
Seniority-based appointments ending the practice of juniors overtaking seniors through influence or favouritism.
Decentralised promotion exercises to senatorial districts, reducing travel stress and improving fairness.
Faster retiree benefits processing, eliminating long delays.
First-ever induction for newly recruited teachers, ensuring better preparedness.
Transparent salary payments, with ghost workers and fraudulent overseas wage collectors removed from payroll.
Standardised inter-cadre transfers, ending pay disparities among equally qualified staff.
ANCOPSS said the Administrative Secretary’s coordination with Tutor Generals in the three senatorial zones has created no conflict and fully complies with civil service norms. It also pointed out that spouses working in the same sector is common in the civil service and does not automatically amount to a conflict of interest.
The Office of the HOS, in a separate rejoinder signed by Director of Information, Sina Adeyeye, clarified that TESCOM law provides for a “Secretary” as its accounting officer — not expressly a Permanent Secretary. Where a Permanent Secretary is posted, they function as Secretary, but the current arrangement with an Administrative Secretary is lawful and not out of place.
It stressed that Tutors-General report to the TESCOM Chairman/Board, not to the Secretary, and questioned the logic of claims suggesting otherwise. “Would it be possible for a Tutor-General to report to a Permanent Secretary of equivalent rank?” the statement asked, calling such reasoning “puerile” and “mischievous.”
The HOS further reminded critics that past TESCOM Secretaries have included senior directors and other Administrative Secretaries. It commended Mrs. Bayo Philip’s record, citing the recent teachers’ recruitment exercise as “free of scandal” and the current principal appointment process as anchored on seniority and competence — “putting an end to the ‘cash-and-carry’ era.”
Both ANCOPSS and the HOS concluded that the accusations lack evidence of incompetence, inefficiency, or mismanagement, insisting that TESCOM’s current reforms have strengthened integrity and service delivery in Ondo State’s secondary education sector.
