“This is a president who cares deeply for Nigeria and for the future of our country.

“The president has approved the recruitment of teachers. Priority will be given to absorbing verified PTA teachers, many of whom have served in our Federal Unity Colleges and Federal Technical Colleges for almost 25 years. This approval provides them with the opportunity to become part of the mainstream public service,” the minister said.

He said the recruitment followed a comprehensive verification exercise conducted by an inter-ministerial committee, which screened eligible PTA teachers across Federal Unity Colleges.

The exercise, he said, verified “3,252 teachers across the cadres of Education Officers, Assistant Education Officers and Technical Instructors, paving the way for their regularisation upon completion of all statutory requirements.”

Describing the development as a milestone under the Renewed Hope Agenda, Alausa said the recruitment would improve the teacher-student ratio in Federal Unity Colleges while rewarding teachers who had remained committed despite years of uncertainty.

According to him, integrating experienced PTA teachers into the federal public service would preserve institutional knowledge, strengthen classroom instruction and improve learning outcomes across the colleges.

“The recruitment forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to improve teacher quality and reposition the colleges as centres of academic excellence,” he said.

The minister added that the education ministry would continue to work with relevant government agencies to conclude the remaining statutory processes required for the issuance of the final recruitment approval in line with public service regulations.

He thanked Tinubu for approving the exercise, saying the decision demonstrated the administration’s resolve to place education at the centre of national development.

“Investing in teachers is fundamental to building a stronger education system, as no education system can rise above the quality of its teachers,” he said.

Alausa assured all verified PTA teachers that the regularisation process would be concluded with transparency, fairness and due diligence.

He also reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to implementing policies that strengthen the teaching profession, improve learning outcomes and ensure that learners in Federal Unity Colleges receive quality education from competent and dedicated teachers.

For years, Federal Unity Colleges have relied on PTA teachers engaged and paid by PTAs to bridge chronic staffing gaps caused by inadequate recruitment into the federal teaching service. Many of the teachers have worked in the colleges for between 10 and 25 years without permanent appointments, despite performing the same classroom responsibilities as regular government-employed teachers.

Successive administrations received appeals from the affected teachers and education stakeholders to regularise their appointments, arguing that the prolonged reliance on PTA-funded staff placed a financial burden on parents and created job insecurity for thousands of qualified teachers.

“I feel deeply embarrassed, not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the agency’s action,” the President stated.

Tinubu reiterated that since assuming office, he has consistently allowed the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies to carry out their constitutional responsibilities independently, without political interference or executive directives.

He stressed that strong democratic institutions must operate within the law and without fear or favour, adding that he has deliberately avoided interfering in the operational activities of anti-corruption agencies.

The President, however, noted that while he had yet to receive the full details surrounding the EFCC’s decision to obtain the court order, the timing of the action was “inauspicious” given the proximity of the Osun governorship election.

He warned that no action should create the impression that any federal agency was being used to influence or interfere with the electoral process.

“In the overriding public interest of preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” Tinubu said.

The directive is expected to ease concerns over the freezing of the state’s accounts as political parties and stakeholders prepare for the governorship election in Osun State.

According to him, the increase in petrol prices from around N1,000 to nearly N1,900 per litre has placed additional pressure on cement producers, forcing them to pass on the cost to consumers.

Stakeholders also link the rising prices to global developments, particularly tensions in the Middle East, which have disrupted energy markets worldwide.

These disruptions have cascading effects on input costs, further compounding the challenges faced by manufacturers already dealing with local economic pressures.