Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has promised to look into the demands of labour organisations and grant approval to areas of interest in both welfarism and service delivery.
Governor Ododo gave the assurance in his message to this year’s World Teachers’ Day celebration held at the NUT Guest House in Lokoja.
Represented by the Director-General of Protocol, Government House, Alhaji Ibrahim Suleiman, the Governor said the role of teachers in character moulding and knowledge impartation cannot be over-emphasised.
He congratulated teachers on the occasion and assured that the state will continue to recognize their efforts as the foundation of all economic growth.
In his welcome address, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Comrade Abayomi Ayoola, expressed appreciation to the Governor for restoring dignity to the teaching profession, noting that he will always be remembered as a true friend of teachers.
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Comrade Ayoola said teachers’ morale has increased through the eradication of percentage salary payment, implementation of promotions with financial backing, and payment of special bonus last December.
He, however, called for massive recruitment of teachers, saying over 8,000 teachers are needed to fill gaps created by death and retirement.
He also appealed for reconsideration of hundreds of members not cleared during the screening exercise, particularly the 2010 set.
Other demands include review of over 300 teachers whose names were omitted from the payroll and those promoted without cash backing.
He urged NUT members to reciprocate the good gestures with devotion and commitment to improving education standards in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the NUT National President, Comrade Titus Amba, represented by the State Secretary, Comrade Ibrahim Kadalla, he urged teachers to remain optimistic despite challenges across the country.
In his paper presentation, the Branch Chairman, Yagba East Local Government Area, Comrade Owolabi Babatunde, who spoke on the theme: “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing its Status and Shaping Our Futures”, described teaching as a calling that determines the future of any society.
Present at the event were the NLC Chairman, Comrade Gabriel Amari, representative of the SUBEB Chairman, Abdulrazak Mohammed Yusuf, and the immediate past Chairman of NUT, Comrade Dauda Yakubu, among others.
