OFFENSIVE EXAM QUESTION: OGUN GOVT ATTACKS GROUP FOR DEFENDING TEACHER

The Ogun State Government on Tuesday denied that Governor Ibikunle Amosun was responsible for sacking an English examiner and five others over an exam question critical of the government.
The government accused the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which condemned the decision, of was “crying more than the bereaved”.
The government was reacting to petition allegedly written by SERAP to the UN Rapporteurs over the matter.
In a statement signed by Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, the government accused SERAP of jumping the gun.
“Had SERAP examined and understood the facts that led to the decisions of the Ogun State Civil Service Commission, it would have appreciated they were not even remotely connected with the
constitutionally-guaranteed rights to freedom of thought, conscience and expression or academic freedom, which formed the kernel of its petition to the UN Special Rapporteurs,” the statement said.
The state government wondered if SERAP had studied the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) in relation to disciplinary control over civil servants.
“Had SERAP looked before leaping, it would have realised that by virtue of
Paragraph 2, Part II, Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, the Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun,  could not have played any role in the disciplinary measures against the workers,” said Mr. Adeoluwa.
The paragraph states that:
“2. (1) The Commission shall have power without prejudice to the powers vested in the Governor and the State Judicial Service Commission to –
(a) appoint persons to offices in the State civil service; and
(b) dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over persons holding such offices.
(2) The Commission shall not exercise any of its powers under sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph in respect of such offices of heads of divisions of Ministries or of departments of the Government of the State as may from time to time be designated by an order made by the Governor except after consultation with the Head of the Civil Service of the State.”
An English Language examiner, Adegbenro Jolaolu, and five others were sacked over an examination question which the state government considered embarrassing.
The question deplored the poor state of education in Ogun.