The Ekiti State Government has reiterated its commitment to the welfare of teachers in its employ despite the prevailing paucity of funds.
The Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, stated this when he received in audience the newly constituted executive council of the state wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT)who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
A statement by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Deputy Governor, Odunayo Ogunmola, said the executives were led by the Chairman, NUT, Ekiti State Wing, Mr. Emmanuel Oke, who used the opportunity to table some of the union’s demands before the state government.
The Deputy Governor, who is a former Commissioner for Education in the state, said teachers remain important partners in achieving a positive turnaround of the education sector as envisioned by Governor Kayode Fayemi.
Congratulating the Ekiti NUT on the success of its recent State Delegates Conference and the election of new executives, Egbeyemi urged the teachers’ body to cooperate with the state government for the implementation of policies to strengthen the education sector.
He commended teachers in the state for their sacrifices and diligence in their duties which he noted the government is reciprocating by ensuring regular payment of salaries and provision of infrastructure and instructional materials in public schools.
Egbeyemi contended that teachers must be rewarded while alive saying the need to ensure that they are not denied their wages is behind government’s commitment to regular payment of salaries and increment in the payment of retirees’ pension from N10 million to N100 million.
He said: “This administration has good plans for the education sector; we have built new schools, renovated the old ones, provided instructional materials and we are also fencing schools across the state to ensure the security of our pupils.
“Nothing will stop us from paying your salaries as at when due and that is why he Governor has ensured that workers are not owed salaries even though we are facing challenges. We will continue to give teachers” welfare a priority. ”
Egbeyemi also sensitized teachers’ body on the need to observe safety protocols in view of the emergence of a new variant of COVID-19.
Speaking earlier, the state NUT Chairman, Mr. Oke, hailed the state government for its investment in education which has lifted the sector and repositioned it as attested to by stakeholders.
He identified some of the achievements recorded recorded to include establishment of more primary and secondary schools, recruitment of more teachers, distribution of more furniture and instructional materials, payment of WAEC fees for final year students, implementation of school feeding programme, among others.
The NUT boss also lauded the administration’s tolerance for child abuse and molestation and the ongoing prosecution of a police officer who manhandled a principal and some teachers at a school in the state.
Oke also used the forum to table the union’s demands which include payment of outstanding leave bonus and salary arrears left by the last administration, financial backing for teachers’ promotion, car and housing loans to primary and technical school teachers and payment of gratuity to retired teachers.
Other demands are the provision of a bus to the state NUT, consideration of degree holders in primary schools for salary extension to Grade Levels 16 and 17 and restoration of 27.5 per cent allowance to technical school teachers.
Oke assured the state government that teachers would continue to work harder for Ekiti to occupy a pride of place in the comity of states in Nigeria in the field of education.
