By Ann Azuka
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has reiterated that his administration is fully committed in promoting the wellbeing of teachers in the state.
Okowa gave the commitment at the celebration of this year’s World Teachers’ Day in Asaba, with the theme: “The Transformation of Education Begins With The Teacher”.
The Governor, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Secondary Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, noted that concerted efforts were being made to recruit more teachers to fill existing vacancies in public schools.
Okowa added that infrastructural upgrade in schools across the state had improved tremendous in the past few years.
He said the payment of salaries and other entitlements of teachers had been regular and career progression seamless, urging the teachers to remain focused on the task of moulding the leaders of tomorrow in order to build a better society for all.
Okowa remarked that the relationship between labour unions, particularly the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the state government had been cordial and urged the Teachers’ Union to ensure that the harmony was sustained for the good of the state.
In his remarks on the occasion, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Audu Titus Amba said the World Teachers Day was instituted in 1994 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to recognize and appreciate the important role of teachers in the transformation of humanity and society.
Comrade Amba stated that the theme of this year’s celebration was apt as it sought to highlight the role teachers expected to play in transforming and shaping the future of education in the midst of growing societal needs and challenges of the 21st century.
Earlier, the Chairman, Delta State Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Titus Okotie, expressed gratitude to the state government for creating the enabling environment for teachers in the state to join their counterparts all over the world in marking the global event.
He commended the state government for the giant strides so far recorded in the education sector, including the approval of full payment of minimum wage to primary school teachers, the state NUT solicited urgent attention to some critical issues needed for the rapid transformation of the education system, such as the recruitment of more teachers for primary and secondary schools.
Others he listed include the capacity building for teachers, involvement of teachers in the formulation of policies on education and immediate implementation of the approved law on 65 years retirement age/the 40 years of service for teachers in Delta State, among others.
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