Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State on Wednesday gave full employment to 5,000 teachers engaged by the immediate past administration of Godwin Obaseki on contract basis, thus regularising their appointments.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that one of the governor’s electioneering promises ahead of the September 21, 2024, governorship election in the state was to employ 5,000 teachers to fill vacancies in public primary and secondary schools.
However, barely a month to the election, and less than three months to the end of his tenure, Obaseki announced the recruitment of 5,500 teachers to take his flagship EdoBEST education programme “to the next level” and “help shape the future of education” in the state.
Formally absorbing the teachers who had been on a monthly stipend of N65,000 into the State’s Ministry of Education in substantive positions, the governor personally supervised the presentation of their letters of employment at a ceremony held at the Government House.
A statement by the chief press secretary to the governor, Fred Itua, described the event as a landmark and “historic in Nigeria’s education sector”.
Itua said Governor Okpebholo emphasised the significance of the occasion and the government’s commitment to valuing its educators.
According to the statement, the governor said, “Teachers, I am happy to see you. I wanted it this way, because, I had asked several times if you had received your letters. The answer was no. So, I decided to supervise the process myself. As you collect your appointment letters today, you will also receive transport fare because I know many of you have travelled long distances.”
Okpebholo, the statement said, further acknowledged the vital role teachers play in shaping the future of Edo State, underscoring the administration’s dedication to improving the welfare of educators.
“You are very important to us. Your reward is no longer in heaven; it is here, under our watch,” the governor told the ecstatic teachers.
Addressing the teachers earlier, Itua said the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, expressed deep appreciation for their perseverance over the past three years despite the challenges of being on contract.
Dr. Iyamu said: “You have been suffering for years, yet you have stayed committed to educating our children, waking up at night to prepare lesson notes. Beautiful schools without teachers are useless. Today, an angel has come, a leader who thinks about your welfare day and night.”
He also highlighted the achievements of Okpebholo’s administration within the education sector, noting the construction of over 68 schools within one year, aimed at benefiting children from all walks of life.
He said: “He met Ambrose Alli University with a ₦41 million subvention and increased it to ₦500 million. Right now, a 1,500-capacity lecture theatre and a 600-capacity hostel are under construction.”
Dr. Iyamu added that the EDU-Rescue Programme was launched to give children from poor backgrounds access to quality education.
Itua noted that, “This historic regularisation marks a new chapter for Edo State’s education workforce, reflecting Governor Okpebholo’s pledge to prioritise education and the welfare of teachers who remain the backbone of the state’s development”.
