How Akwa Ibom-based teacher emerged 2016 Maltina Teacher of The Year

WARM personality and penchant for helping children with special needs, were some of the characteristics traits that contributed to the emergence of Imoh Essien, an Akwa Ibom-based teacher, as the 2016 Maltina Teacher of the Year, at the grand finale  of the contest, held in Lagos.

Essien, a teacher  from Special Education Centre for Exceptional Children, Uyo, Akwa Ibom, was rewarded with N1 million in addition to N500,000 he had earlier received as state  champion from Akwa Ibom.

He will also get N1 million every year for five years, a training program abroad and a block of six classrooms built at his school, as part of the total package of the grand prize.

The Computer and Physical Education teacher revealed that he draws his inspiration for teaching from his warm personality, a trait, he believed, had enabled him help children with special needs.

He believes his strong emotional and mental stability are always vital in the course of positively impacting children with special needs, a job, he said, he had done for twelve years.

Mohammed Binta Lawan, an English teacher, fromBorno State, who was the first runner-up last year, repeated the feat this year, while Ogwu Patrick from Government DaySecondary School, Adankolo, Lokoja, Kogi State emerged second runner-up.

Giving reasons for the initiative, the Managing  Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde explained that the programme was in tune with the company’s  philosophy of  Winning with Nigeria.