Two primary school teachers in Kajola Local Government Area of Oyo State have reportedly died from shock, shortly after receiving their sack letters.
Oyo State Government, last Thursday, commenced retrenchment of civil servants, as well as primary and secondary school teachers.
Similarly, there was panic at the Oyo zonal office of the State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) in Oyo town on Monday when a secondary teacher slumped and became unconscious on sighting her name as among those retrenched on TESCOM’s notice board.
Civil servants, including teachers in the state are currently being owed five months’ salaries.
FREEDOM ONLINE learned that the two deceased primary school teachers were working in the same school and were married.
They were said to have resumed in their school and after the morning devotion received information that all the teachers must visit the office of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in the locality “for some vital information”.
The deceased teachers sent some of their colleagues to go and collect whatever information on their behalf.
By the time they returned from UBEC office, it was towards the closing time for the school, hence letters were handed over to the deceased teachers who hurriedly left for their homes.
On getting home, one of the teachers was said to have met his wife and children eating.
He then sat, opened the letter and after reading, shouted, “oh, my God, why me this time”.
An eyewitness said he immediately slumped from the chair and became unconscious.
His wife and children raised the alarm and neighbours tried to revive him to no avail.
Also, his colleague died a few hours later after getting home.
A neighbour said when he was about to eat, he told his
wife that he received an official letter from UBEC, but yet to read it.
His wife, who is said to be pregnant, asked for where he put the letter.
She went inside the room to retrieve the letter and gave it to the husband.
On reading it, he was said to have shouted and slumped.
Efforts to revive him also failed.
However, the third teacher, who also collapsed, was said to have been revived by colleagues who were present at the zonal office.
Now, there is tension in the area among government workers because it is believed more sack letters are still being expected.