World Teachers Day: Obaseki, Commissioner for Education absent at annual ceremony

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Commissioner for Education Joan Oviawe and the Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Mrs. Salami Ozavize, were conspicuously absent as teachers celebrated the 2024 World Teachers Day in the state.

The 2024 World Teachers Day has as its theme “Valuing Teachers’ Voices Towards New Social Contract for Education.”

DAILY POST reports that this year’s celebration was the opposite of the previous years where the secretariat of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, popularly known as “Teachers House,” was a beehive of activities and unfair.

The Edo State chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Odion Olaye, who is the number one worker in the state, was also absent at the celebration.

Since his assumption as governor of the state in 2016, Obaseki has never failed to grace the Teachers Day celebration. This year’s celebration was the last he was supposed to attend as his administration ends on November 12, 2024.

Besides the absence of the state government functionaries at the occasion, no fewer than 100 teachers, however, attended the occasion.

Speaking to newsmen on the low attendance of members and absence of state government functionaries at the celebration, the Edo State chairman of NUT, Bernard Gbenga Ajobiewe, attributed their absence to the high cost of living in the country as well as the aftermath of the just concluded governorship election in the state.

According to him: “Today’s celebration is just low-key because of the situation in the country, the hike in prices of fuel, and the high cost of living; that is why some teachers could not make it to this place.

“It is not out of place, and it is also globally recognised that Nigeria is passing through financial, fuel crises, and other challenges. That is why the low turnout is evident today.

“You are also aware that in Edo State, the governorship election was just conducted and people are worn out. Though government functionaries were invited, most of them were not in town.

“And few representatives were sent to represent them, and not that government functionaries are not here completely,” he said.

Meanwhile, in his address, Ajobiewe called on the state government to increase the number of teachers intended to be recruited by SUBEB into primary schools.

While noting that the number of teachers to be recruited is grossly inadequate, he appealed that the numbers to be recruited into primary should be increased to cater for the inadequacy.

The NUT chairman also called on the outgoing governor to employ EdoStar teachers with outstanding performance as permanent teachers in fulfilment of his government promises.

He said the union accepted EdoStar as a result of an acute shortage of teachers in both primary and secondary schools.

He, however, decried the failure of the state government to redeem its promise of the provision of an operational bus and a half-month salary to teachers.

“Your Excellency, sir, as promised during the 2023 World Teachers Day Celebration (today makes it a year), before the commencement of Alaghodaro Summit you are going to provide the union with an operational bus and an additional half-month salary.

Sir, Alaghodaro Summit is over; we are still waiting,” he added.

Other demands of the teachers from the state government are the building of a new teachers’ house or renovation of the existing one, provision of security, as well as the construction of perimeter fences in schools to reduce the menace of insecurity in the schools.

Ajobiewe, however, commended the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government for the training and retraining of teachers in the state, regular payment of monthly salaries, approval and the domestication of 65 years of age and 40 years of length of service.

Others are approval and payment of the N70,000 minimum wage to all workers, including primary school teachers, approval of primary school teachers promotions from January 2022 to July 2024; and creating a good relationship between the government and the union in the state.

World Teachers Day: Obaseki, Commissioner for Education absent at annual ceremony