By BENSON EZUGWU

Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State has set up a committee on payment of N30,000 minimum wage to primary school teachers in the state.

Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Enugu State wing, Chief Theophilus Odo, made the disclosure on Thursday in Enugu during the 2023 World Teachers’ Day celebration.

Odo, who said that he was a member of the committee, thanked the governor for the gesture.

Speaking on the theme for this year’s Day: “The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage,” he stressed the need for the re-ordering of a new value system.

“There is the need for re-ordering the societal value system, such as stewardship, steadfastness, commitment to service, sincerity, etc. which an ideal teacher epitomises.

“It is this kind of moral vision against the false value of acquisitive, oppressive and exploitative society that will awaken Nigeria teachers to their duties and responsibilities to the nation, as it was in the past,” he said.

Odo drew the attention of the governor to the need for recruitment of new teachers in the state and the release of outstanding promotion of teachers.

He also demanded for the payment of outstanding leave allowances to teachers in both primary and post-primary schools in the state.

“We also demand for donation of an 18-seater bus to the union for ease of movement, as the ones donated by successive governments can no longer travel beyond Enugu metropolis because they are old,” he said.

The NUT chairman urged parents, students and the society at large to accord teachers their due respect, adding that “honour should be given to whom honour is due.”

He condemned, in totality, situations where teachers were beaten up in the presence of their students and guardians, saying it was most unfortunate.

“Teachers themselves should see commitment to service and hard work as their watchword and be guided at all times by the ethics of the profession,” he said.

Speaking at the occasion, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah, who represented the governor at the occasion, described teachers as role models and mentors.

He said that government would continue to support the teaching profession in the state.

In her keynote address, a don, Prof. Obiamaka Egbo, said the theme of this year’s celebration resonated deeply with the Nigerian context, where shortage of teachers remained a significant challenge in the pursuit of quality education for all.

She said that education was regarded as a fundamental right and powerful tool for personal and national development in Nigeria.

“However, the quality of education we provide for our children and youth is at a crossroads, largely due to the critical shortage of well-trained and motivated teachers.

“To reverse this shortage, we must first understand the global imperative behind this issue and then apply it to our unique Nigerian situation,” she said. (NAN)

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