-As teachers fear gov’s remarks will encourage more failures
-Gov’s remarks further discredits recruitment exercise -Applicants
Governor Umo Eno has further escalated public debate surrounding Akwa Ibom State’s recent educational decline following the state’s dismal performance in the 2026 National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination.
Speaking at the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Uyo on Monday, October 5, the governor said that achieving a perfect score in a civil service recruitment examination does not guarantee employment.
The governor’s remarks came on the heels of the recent poor performance by the state where it ranked 36th out of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in the 2026 NECO results.
Official data revealed that only 37.42 per cent of Akwa Ibom candidates obtained five credits or more, including English Language and Mathematics, sparking widespread concern over academic standards and teacher quality across public schools.
Addressing the audience of teachers and public servants, Governor Eno attempted to clarify the ongoing controversy over the state’s recent teacher and civil service recruitment drive. “That you scored 100% in computer-based test does not automatically convert to automatic employment,” Governor Eno asserted. “The civil service employment has its rules. You need to read and acquaint yourself with those rules.”
The statement follows months of public outcry from thousands of job seekers who sat for the state’s Computer-Based Test (CBT) recruitment exercise, where many candidates with top scores were ignored in favor of unvetted applicants.
Rather than reassuring the public, the governor’s stance has drawn sharp criticism from stakeholders who argue that dismissing meritocracy in public hiring directly undermines academic standards in Akwa Ibom classrooms.
Teachers present at the World Teachers’ Day event expressed deep disappointment over the governor’s position, warning that it sends a damaging signal to both teachers and students. “When the state governor publicly minimizes a 100 per cent score in an objective examination, it destroys the very essence of academic hard work,” said Mr. Anieno Edem, a senior secondary school English teacher in Uyo. “We are in the classroom telling students that hard work pays, but the leadership is telling the public that excellence does not guarantee progress.”
Mrs. Grace Akpakpan, a basic science teacher with over fifteen years in the state school system, noted that discounting high test scores creates an environment that tolerates mediocrity. “Our dismal 36th position in NECO is a direct reflection of how merit has been relegated in our educational ecosystem,” Akpan said. “If teachers and civil servants are not hired on the basis of superior knowledge and proven competence, we cannot expect our students to perform any better in national examinations.”
Highlighting the demoralizing impact on the teaching profession, Mr. Bassey Okokon, a secondary school mathematics teacher, argued that opaque hiring practices inevitably lead to poor classroom outcomes. “You cannot bypass top performers in a competitive recruitment test and then wonder why our students are failing mathematics and English,” Okokon stated. “The governor’s statement unfortunately confirms our fears that factors other than competence determine who gets into the classroom to teach our children.”
Adding to the criticism, Mrs. Victoria Udomah, a government school administrator, cautioned that unwritten recruitment rules weaken public trust. “If there are secondary rules beyond scoring 100 per cent on a standardized test, those rules should be transparently defined from the beginning,” Udomah remarked. “Dismissing stellar performance in favor of vague civil service guidelines will only encourage more academic failures across the state.”
The controversy has also generated intense backlash across social media platforms, where unsuccessful recruitment applicants voiced outrage over the governor’s comments.
“What other rules could possibly supersede a candidate scoring 100 per cent in an objective computer-based assessment?” asked Udeme Joseph in a widely shared post on X. “This explanation only confirms that the recruitment portal was a mere formality to legitimize pre-selected candidates.”
Another applicant, Idongesit Ekpo, took to Facebook to express frustration after scoring 94 per cent on the CBT without receiving an offer. “I spent weeks preparing for the civil service exam, assuming that merit would finally count in Akwa Ibom State,” Ekpo wrote. “Hearing the governor say that a perfect score means nothing in the face of obscure civil service rules is heartbreaking and completely discredits the entire exercise.”
Commentator Nsikak Emmanuel posted on LinkedIn that the state’s hiring stance sets a dangerous precedent for governance. “If a 100 per cent score on an official CBT does not guarantee employment, then the government must publish the secret criteria it uses for selection,” Emmanuel commented. “Prioritizing political patronage over demonstrated intellectual competence is precisely why our state is ranking bottom in NECO.”
On Instagram, applicant Emem Eduok highlighted the contradiction between the state’s educational goals and its hiring philosophy. “How can the government demand 100 per cent dedication and top grades from secondary school students in NECO while simultaneously telling job seekers that 100 per cent on a test doesn’t matter?” Eduok questioned. “It is hypocritical to preach excellence to students while rewarding mediocrity in recruitment.”
Writing on X, Kufre Inyang urged civil society groups and labor unions to demand full accountability regarding the recruitment results. “Every candidate who scored above 80 per cent deserves a clear, individual explanation as to why they were bypassed,” Inyang argued. “Taxpayer funds were used to organize this CBT recruitment drive, and turning around to tell applicants that high scores are irrelevant is unacceptable.”
As public dissatisfaction grows, education advocates and labor leaders continue to press the Akwa Ibom State Government for systemic reforms in both school funding and civil service recruitment. Without clear measures to restore meritocracy and rebuild confidence in public institutions, stakeholders fear that the state’s educational performance will continue to suffer in future national assessments.
