Claim
Did Osun State Government ask successful applicants for teachers recruitment to pay N5,000?
Verdict
No. The Osun State government doesn’t ask for payment of N5,000. The viral letter doesn’t emanate from the Osun State Government as there is no Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Osun State. The State has separate ministries for education and innovation, science, technology and digital economy.
Full Text
Osun State government commenced on February 8th, 2024 announced opening of portal for recruitment of 5,000 teachers to fill existing vacancies in public primary and secondary schools across the State. Examination and screening were conducted in May 2024.
In September 2024, the government in a statement by Kolapo Alimi, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, announced interview dates for the successful applicants who scored above 40% in the exam.
Since that time, the applicants and people of the State have been waiting for appointment letters for the successful applicants. In March 2025, Governor Ademola Adeleke directed that successful applicants should be given appointment letters and they should be posted immediately.
On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, a letter surfaced on the internet that applicants should check their portal and successful applicants were to pay a sum of “N5,000 processing”.
The body of the letter, which was addressed to the general public reads, “Subject: CHECKING OF EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND RELEASE OF APPOINTMENT LETTERS TO SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS WITH SUBSEQUENT PAYMENT OF PROCESSING FEE OF #5,000.00
“Following the approval of His Excellency, Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke to issue letters of appointment so the newly to be recruited teachers in the state, we are glad to inform the general public and particularly applicants of the 2024 Osun State Teachers Recruitment Exercise who made it to the interview stage that the individual applicants portal will be available for checking of employment status as from midnight of Friday, 4th April, 2025. The successful applicants who are considered for the first batch can then proceed to print their appointment letters after making a payment of #5,000.00k processing fee which will also be made through the portal E-transact link
“Further directives on the next line of action will be communicated in due course.”
Verification
A quick search of ministries in Osun State showed that Osun has no ministry with the name Ministry of Education, science and technology. Instead, Osun has Ministry of Education. The other Ministry is Ministry of Innovation, Science, Technology and Digital Economy.
Also, InsightChecks reached out to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr Muritala Jimoh, and he forwarded a statement he signed to our InsightChecks.
In the statement, Mr Jimoh denied knowledge of the memo, stating that it did not emanate from the Ministry.
His statement reads, “This is to inform the general public that a circular letter with the above named content did not emanate from the State Ministry of Education neither did the Permanent Secretary sign it. It is hereby debunked in its entirety.
2. Please recall that this ungodly circular is almost the fifth of its kind issued by the fifth columnist and desperados on Osun Teacher Recruitment Exercise which are calculated attempts to discredit the government of the day. There are obvious evidences in the form and feature of the circular that proved it is not a government circular. Please note that:
the paper was not the official letter head of the State Ministry of Education the more reason for cutting the upper edge;
II. it is written without a reference number, an abberation in public service;
III. the signatory is obviously forged and everyone that had received our mails in the past will attest to this; and
IV. there are several unpardonable grammatical errors in the content of the circular which a non-commissioned officer should not have committed not to talk of a Permanent Secretary whose circular letters are carefully written and proof-read before issuance.
3. The said circular portrayed its scam potential and status when it stated that Five Thousand Naira would be paid to collect employment letter via a non existent e-transact link for payment. This is outrightly dubious and extortive to unsuspecting and ambitious applicants.
4. The public is hereby enjoined NOT only to disregard the said FAKE circular letter but also avoid it like a plague in the best interest of our dear applicants for Teachers Recruitment and the general public.
This FactCheck is important in order to prevent successful applicants from getting duped and losing their hard earned money.
Verdict
No. The Osun State government doesn’t ask for payment of N5,000. The viral letter doesn’t emanate from the Osun State Government as there is no Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Osun State. The State has separate ministries for education and innovation, science, technology and digital economy.
This verification has been produced with support from BO Foundation for Inclusive Media (BOFIM) and WITNESS.
