Gov. Otti’s sustained quest for quality education in retrospect
By Ogbonnaya Ikokwu
Dr Michael Okpara, a legendary politician and Premier of the defunct Eastern Nigeria once said, “Our future as a people depends on how we invest in the education of our children.”
Standing on that wise statement, it is indisputable that quality education is the best gift any family, society or government can give to the younger generation.
Great potential can be unlocked and properly harnessed among the youths, if they are exposed to a conducive teaching and learning environment early in life. It is often said that the best form of education is given at the kindergarten level.
However, quality education cannot come about through wishful thinking or desires. There must be a deliberate plan of action to put the necessary modalities in place to achieve the target.
Western education came to Nigeria through British Missionaries. Thereafter, communities and private individuals started making efforts to establish schools closer to the people to ensure that even the children of the poor can acquire education.
Government at various levels later took over the running of schools from their founders, perhaps to provide adequate funding and ensure that standards were maintained.
Many years down the line, the education system in Nigeria has suffered serious setbacks as a result of policy somersaults by the three tiers of government in the country.
Private investors and churches again started another struggle to provide standard education in the last three decades, which has given rise to private schools found in every nook and cranny of the country.
However, it is obvious that these schools are not charity homes, hence many families are struggling to pay their often exorbitant fees for their children.
Abia State was not spared from the decay in the education system in Nigeria. A tour of public schools in the state will clear anybody’s doubt about the sorry situation.
This informed the decision by Gov. Alex Otti to declare a state of emergency on education upon his assumption of office.
The governor has taken some strategic steps aimed at revamping teaching and learning in the state through regular payment of teachers’ salaries, renovation of schools and retraining of the teachers. All these moves are germane because, without quality teachers, there cannot be anything like quality education.
Speaking during the year 2024 World Teachers’ Day, Gov. Otti recognised and applauded the crucial role teachers play in molding the children in character and learning.
He said that teachers become great role models in communities not because they are wealthy or politically connected, but for reasons of their sacrifices, wisdom and discipline, insisting that they are clear proofs that greatness comes by what one gives, not what he or she accumulates for self.
Otti disclosed that Abia owes a huge debt of gratitude to teachers in the state for their relentless labour of love and dedication to duty.
“We are indebted to teachers for spending their time working so that our children may grow to become functional adults, useful to their families and mankind at large. We are individually and collectively thankful to you, my dear friends and comrades, for inspiring and bringing out the best in us.
“You mentored and taught us the virtues of hard work, persistence and patience in difficult times. These qualities are in large part, responsible for the individuals many of us have become,” he said.
The governor commended the teachers for not losing faith during the years they suffered untold neglect in the hands of those who managed public resources before now.
“You were steadfast in your jobs, labouring on empty stomachs just to make sure that the future of our pupils and students is bright. Through your sacrifice and love for the children of Abia, our young ones were able to compete and hold their own in national exams,” he maintained.
Gov. Otti also announced the cheering news of putting modalities in place for the commencement of the payment of the new minimum wage by the end of October to the excitement of the teachers. He said that the new minimum wage is in addition to the 15,000 naira wage award already paid to Abia civil servants in the past
three months.
He said that his administration declared a state of emergency in the education sector and introduced new incentives, including an increase in the retirement age of teachers to 65 years and 40 years of service.
The Abia chief executive disclosed that he had banished all forms of discriminatory practices in the payment of salaries and assured that regular payment of workers’ entitlements will continue to receive priority attention.
He said, “Our administration understands the importance of education which explains why we prioritised it as one of the major pillars of our governance objectives.
“As the Chairman of NUT in the state said, we had since increased the retirement age of teachers in the state to 65 years or 40 years of service subject to health and willingness of individuals to remain in the field.
“We have effectively banished all forms of discrimination in the payment of workers’ salaries and allowances, today, teachers in primary and secondary schools across the state get their salaries at the same time their counterparts in the civil service are paid.”
As part of plans to make teaching more attractive, the governor said his administration has retrained 2,000 teachers in the primary school, while teachers in the secondary school would commence their retraining by November.
The governor announced that before the end of the year, 100 newly retrofitted public schools will be ready for use across the state, adding that he had directed the Office of Homeland Security to provide adequate security to public schools in the state for the safety of teachers, students and facilities already in place.
He further said that he is committed to creating an ecosystem conducive to teaching and learning, adding that he will consider the student-teacher ratio in engaging more teachers in schools across the state.
The Chairman of the occasion and Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, while congratulating Abia teachers on this year’s event, said that the State Government sees teachers as friends, role models, mentors, builders and character molders.
Ubochi said it is the high respect government has for teachers that informed the ongoing extensive capacity building of teachers and massive infrastructure development across public schools for effective and efficient performance.
He said that Gov. Otti has prioritised teachers’ welfare, calling on NUT to ensure that teachers reciprocate the governor’s gesture by being alive to their responsibilities as the years of truancy were long over.
The state Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Madu Chukwujekwu, said that the theme of this year’s event, “Valuing Teachers’ Voices: Towards a New Social Contract For Education”, recognises the critical role teachers play in the future of education.
Chukwujekwu added that government needs to empower teachers to take ownership of their profession, to share their expertise, and drive innovation in education.
He used the forum to list some achievements made in the education sector by the present administration, including approval and full implementation of 65 years of age and 40 years of service through harmonised Teachers Retirement Act 2022, regular and prompt payment of monthly salaries to teachers and all civil servants in the state, among others.
He called for the immediate recruitment of teachers to fill the vacancies in various public schools.
Chukwujekwu also lauded Otti for prioritising capacity building for teachers, especially for making them ICT compliant, the peaceful conduct of the promotion exercises for teachers by various education boards in the state and resuscitation of the scholarship programme, where over 5,000 students recently benefitted.
The highlight of the occasion was the appreciation of the first three best head teachers in early school resumption for the 2024/2025 academic session by the Executive Chairman, Abia State Universal Education Board, Mrs. Lydia Onuoha.
It is hoped that the robust relationship between Abia teachers and the current administration would be sustained because it would rob off positively on the advancement of the education sector in a symbiotic manner for the mutual benefit of all the stakeholders, including parents and guardians, pupils and students as well as government and communities in the overall interest, growth and development of God’s Own State.
#Gov. Otti is Building the new Abia!
#To God be glory!
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, a journalist and public affairs analyst, writes from Umuahia.