… says 5,530 teachers recruited in four years
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun
Oyebanji, has rewarded outstanding teachers across the state with a total of
N70.5 million as part of activities marking the 2026 World Teachers’ Day
celebration in Ado-Ekiti.
The celebration, held on Monday,
had as its theme, “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the
Profession, Advancing Its Status and Shaping Our Futures.” The award recipients
were drawn from public and private primary and secondary schools, as well as
various administrative cadres within the education sector, in recognition of
their exceptional performance and commitment to duty.
Speaking at the event, Oyebanji
commended teachers for their contributions to the development of the state and
their role in shaping the future of young people. He said his administration
had, in nearly four years, made substantial investments in education across all
levels, earning the state recognition from various organisations.
The governor assured teachers
that their welfare would remain a priority, adding that his administration
would continue to provide a conducive working environment and settle
outstanding emoluments, particularly leave bonuses.
Responding to a request from the
teachers’ unions, Oyebanji announced that the government would construct a new
ultra-modern state library, which he said had already been captured in the 2027
budget.
“I have listened to the
leadership of NUT and let me disclose that we will be constructing a befitting
state library next year. It has been captured in the 2027 budget,” he said.
Giving an account of his
administration’s interventions in the education sector, the governor said all
203 public secondary schools in the state now had ICT laboratories, while
interactive boards had also been provided.
He added that 125 schools had
been equipped with 5KVA inverters and internet facilities, while old school
buildings had been renovated or rehabilitated across the schools. Perimeter
fencing had also been provided for 54 public secondary schools, with 48 schools
equipped with CCTV cameras and another 85 scheduled to receive the facilities
within the month.
Oyebanji also highlighted the
government’s efforts to address the shortage of teachers through recruitment,
saying 5,530 teachers had been employed in public primary and secondary schools
over the past four years.
According to him, the Teaching
Service Commission recruited 430 teachers in 2022, 500 in 2023/2024 and 1,600
in 2025/2026, while the State Universal Basic Education Board recruited 1,500
teachers in the 2022/2023 session and another 1,500 in 2026.
He further pledged to sustain
regular salary payments, revolving car and housing loans for eligible secondary
school teachers, as well as other welfare packages.
“Be rest assured that we will
always stand with you and protect your dignity, and your place in our
administration remains topmost,” the governor told the teachers.
In her remarks, the Commissioner
for Education, Dr Bimpe Aderiye, commended the governor for what she described
as his sustained commitment to the education sector, noting that substantial
resources had been invested across its various levels.
The state Chairman of the Nigeria
Union of Teachers (NUT), Lawrence Adedeji, and the Academic Staff Union of
Secondary Schools (ASUSS), represented by Austin Bamidele, also commended the
administration for its interventions in the education sector and teachers’
welfare.
They, however, urged the government to fulfil its promises on outstanding emoluments and welfare packages, stressing that teachers deserved recognition and support beyond the annual October celebration.
0 Comments