World Teachers’ Day: All is not well with us in Kogi- NUT, ASUSS cry out

As Teachers in Kogi State join their counterparts across the world to celebrate this year's Teachers’ Day, the State Chairman, Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, Comrade Thomas Ayodele, has cried out over the welfare of its members, saying all is not well with Teachers in the State.

Comrade Ayodele, in a chat with Fresh Angle International, earlier today, Monday October 5, on the side-line this year’s World Teachers’ Day, lamented the percentage payment of salaries to Teachers in the state.

The NUT Chairman, used the medium to appeal to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, to pay teachers their full salaries as things are becoming unbearable for them in view of the current economic hardship.

He equally said many teachers have not been promoted, while those that gained promotion, lacked cash backing to that effect, which would have motivated them to do well while in the class room.

"Permit me to further draw the attention of the state government to the fact that Primary School Teachers like their counterparts in the state civil service, are entitled to 100% salary payment. It is our hope that his Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello will live up to his promise and eradicate this obnoxious practice that has made Primary School Teachers lesser human being than other category of workers in the state," he added.

Comrade Ayodele Thomas, used the special occasion to encourage young people to join the Teaching profession, this he explained would enable the young ones to replace the older Teachers who are retiring from the profession.

Adding his voice, the Kogi State Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ASUSS, Comrade Ranti Mathew Ojo, said the union has been decrying the abysmal shortage of teachers in Kogi Schools, stressing that, the situation has attained a pandemic status as a result of the fallout of the screening exercise, which led to the exit of teachers from the classrooms, due to massive compulsory retirement inflicted on the sector.

" We wish to once again as usual, draw attention to the deplorable conditions of most of our schools. We cannot but paint the gloomy pictures of over 90% of our schools where, apart from the shortage of teachers, infrastructures are dilapidated, laboratories are non-existent, libraries are without book, and where there are books, the books are out of date. 

"Infrastructural materials are no longer known as part of school necessities and sports and extracurricular activities have for long been forgotten as part of school's routine. We are therefore seizing the opportunity presented to us today to once again,  renew our call on the government to as a matter of urgency, declare a state of emergency in secondary school education in the state to steer it away from the precipice where it is now heading" he said.  

Meanwhile, Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has congratulated teachers in the state on the occasion of this year's World Teachers' Day, restating his administration's unflinching commitment to their improved welfare and well-being.

Bello in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Mohammed, extolled teachers for the critical role they play in moulding and building the society through their quality teachings. 

According to him, teachers remain the father of all other professions as nobody could attain any height in his or her professional calling without first of all being taught by a teacher. 

"Unarguably, teachers are the fathers of all professions! For anyone to be able to read and write, he or she must have been taught by a teacher or many teachers.

"The teaching profession is what gives birth to other professions and professionals. 

"No one becomes a lawyer, doctor, engineer, nurse, pilot, architect, builder, journalist, pharmacist etc without a teacher. 

"It therefore means that teachers occupy prominent position in the society and as a government, we ever remain committed to improving on the welfare and well-being of this category of workers to enable them give their best. 

"Besides our commitment to improving the welfare of teachers, we are also committed to giving face lifts to our educational infrastructures across the state to engender conducive teaching and learning atmosphere for our teeming teachers and students" the statement noted.

The world teachers day is held annually on 5th October since 1994, to commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 international labor organization and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, recommendation concerning the status of teachers.

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