By Praise Chinecherem
Anambra State commissioner for Education, Prof Ngozi Chuma-Udeh has come under heavy criticism following alleged outburst to one of the applicants for the online recruitment exercise organised by her ministry.
The applicant was reportedly seeking clarification from the commissioner about the recruitment exercise in the state from her on the telephone in a viral video.
The commissioner, in a viral voice note on social media, had dismissed the applicant as a hooligan and idiot who would have no place in the education sector while reacting to reports over a stampede in one of the centres the recruitment exercise held, as applicants surged to enter the hall before others.
Chuma-Udeh had previously been accused of being rash to applicants, and had on one occasion been credited of saying that she answered 3,000 calls in one hour about the recruitment exercise and that she should not be disturbed by anybody, any more.
In the voice note, the commissioner said, “Madam, you’re an idiot. You mean the computers are doing what? I received a report by 12 noon that you people refused to stand in line, you refused to be identified, you mobbed.
“You people were trying to get into the hall at the same time, you refused to be disciplined, and you have the effrontery, you stupid woman to call me on the phone and talk rubbish.
“Get out of my phone you filthy thing. You really want to be a teacher? How will you tell your students to conform to instructions, when You can not stand in line and move line in line, and you want to be a teacher when you are behaving like hooligans.
“I have nothing for you and I have nothing to say to you. We have already examined up to 1,400 candidates and …you are all hooligans. I hope you understand me, thank you.”
Condemnations have greeted the commissioner’s alleged outburst. While some commentors said she was unworthy of being a teacher, not to talk of supervising the recruitment of other teachers, others said her type might likely contribute to the failure of the current administration.
A veteran journalist, Ulasi Emesibe said, “Her recommendation, support or approval of the sack of those 1,000 teachers employed by former Willie Obiano will hunt her for a long time. She want to now bring in her own people. That is why she is attacking everybody as a defence mechanism.”
Another resident, Faith Nwafor described the comments as too uncouth and unbecoming of a public servant.
“She owes an apology to Anambra people. She goofed big time. A huge embarrassment to the government she serves.”
A civil servant who simply identified himself as Jeremiah said, ” The Hon. Commissioner apparently has a point which she could have driven home without the uncouth aspect in language use. Her anger went to the extreme in public domain. Managing any public is not easy.
For Uche Ogar, “We may need to introduce ‘Anger Management’ as a course in the Universities. Anambra no dey get luck for commissioners for education. It’s a pity. Very uncouth and unprofessional.”
