Nigeria must restore the status of teachers —Isa Aremu

The General Secretary, Textile Union and Governorship candidate of Labour Party in Kwara State, Comrade Isa Aremu has declared that Nigeria government, people and system must restore the status of teachers.

Aremu, who was speaking on the 2018 World Teachers Day with a theme: “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher,”  stated that with well motivated, trained and qualified teachers, education of our children is assured.

He, however warned that without well motivated, trained and qualified teachers, the right to education cannot be realized.

ALSO READ: PDP convention: I may quit PDP, Fayose threatens

He said the dignity and status of teachers in Nigeria must be restored to what was obtainable in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

During this great era, he said non-payment and delayed payment of teachers’ salaries were unthinkable.

“No governor would impress anybody either that he had paid salary as at when and due as the latest shameless scorecard of some governors’ achievements shows.” Aremu said.

On his plan for teachers if he emerged governor of Kwara State, he said: “I promise to compliment the efforts of NUT in  restoring the old status of teachers, (the working teaching women and men in both private and public schools). Teachers must work  under good and tolerable conditions for them to be able to build and sustain a knowledge society.

“It is remarkable and commendable that Universal Basic Education (UBE) is being revived. Nigeria has demonstrated significant commitment to the great task of meeting the UN sustainable  Development goal with respect to achieving universal primary education.

“I promise to meet the goal in Kwara state by creating the  conditions, for well motivate and trained quality  teachers expected to make the miracle of educational transformation possible.

“The current shameful and inhuman  non-payment and delayed payment of teachers’ salaries would become a thing of the past under my leadership of the state.

“State governments that often  blame dwindling Federal Government’s allocation to council areas as reason for their inability to offset teachers’ salaries arrears are not sincere. Payment of salaries of  school teachers lies in all tiers of governments.

“We will also make sure that both public and private schools pay their teachers as at when due and with living wages too. Labour Party government would also recruit more professional teachers to address challenges of teacher shortage and Provide incentives to encourage retention of qualified teachers.

“There will also be sufficient political will to regularly and promptly pay teachers in primary and secondary schools, the will lacking today in the present government.”