The Kwara State Teaching Service Commission screened 1,800 applicants for teaching posts; at least eight of them were dismissed after testing positive for illegal drugs.
The TESCOM Press Secretary, Sam Onile, revealed this in a statement on Monday, citing Commission Chairman Bello Abubakar.
The statement claims that the rejected candidates had positive drug tests for amphetamine, cotinine, tramadol, benzodiazepines, and marijuana.
The tests were conducted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency with support from the state government.
Abubakar said the affected candidates would be replaced by the next best-performing applicants from their respective local government areas.
The statement read, “The drug test was conducted by the NDLEA with the full support of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
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“A major implication of this development is that the affected individuals will be replaced by the candidates who are next to them in performance from their respective local government areas,” the statement said.
“The idea is to send an unmistakable message about the state government’s zero tolerance for drug abuse. We have a duty of care not to expose little children to drug abuse under any circumstances.”
The TESCOM chairman praised AbdulRazaq for insisting on a merit-based recruitment process, noting that the governor had again demonstrated fairness and commitment to quality education in the state.
