Yakubu Busari
The World Teachers Day Celebration in Plateau State have seen the Nigerian Teachers demanded an upward review of the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years and also to tackle the challenges of acute shortage of manpower in rural areas leading to high rate of illiteracy and conflict.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Plateau State Chapter in his 2019 speech at Rwang Pam Stadium called for mutual respect, dedication to duty by the workers in the state.
The National President Comrade Mohammed Nasir Idris represented by Halima Musa called on the government to review the retirement age of primary and secondary school teachers from the current sixty (60) to sixty-five (65) years of age.
He said President Mohammadu Buhari should not hesitate to assent to the bill which is already before the National Assembly for the review of the retirement age of Nigeria teachers.
According to him, this year 2019 “World Teachers’ Day Celebration with the “, theme “Young Teachers: The Future Of The Profession seek to draw attention to the issues of attrition, shortage of teachers, challenges of training young motivated and dedicated teachers into the teaching profession.
He pointed out that other demands by the teachers according to the National President of teachers are the approval of “Teachers Salary Structure “(TSS) for professional teachers, the establishment of the National Secondary Education Commission, payment of teachers’ gratuity and pension.
The other demands include the nonpayment of 27.5 percent professional allowances to the teachers in the unity’s Schools as he observed with great concern the step taken by some state governors to handover the public schools to private individuals without recourse to the stakeholders.
In his speech the state chairman of NUT in plateau State, Comr Gana Ayuba thank the Governor of plateau state Simon Bako Lalong for the recruitment of Four Thousand Eight Hundred and fifty (4,850) teachers, regular and up to date payment of teachers’ salaries in the state, implementation of backlog of teachers promotion and other achievement of governor Lalong on education in the state.
The state chairman however appeal to the government of plateau state to look at the issue outstanding 45 percent of the negotiated (#18,000)National minimum wages which is still pending and urge the governor not to short change the teachers when it is time for implementation of the (#30,000) minimum wage currently at the verge of implementation.
The chairman of the occasion, who doubles as the chairman of Primary Education Board in the State, professor Matthew Sule, in his speech lamented the level of insecurity in the country which is creating a negative impact on the attendance of students in some communities in the state.
Professor Sule outline some of his achievements as the head of the Primary Education Board in the State.
Professor Mathew Said he would have been achieved without the support and the freehand the people’s governor gives me to discharge my duty as the chairman of the board.
“Governor Lalong listened to my complaint whenever I run to him to complain regarding the problems confronting the board, recently, he approved over 4 billion naira for the renovation of primary schools across the 17 local governments area of plateau state, the assignments which is currently ongoing “.
In his speech, Governor Simon Bako Lalong represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry of the S education of Dr. Freeman Kum tasked the teachers on sober reflection among them geared towards the young mind that could revamp and reinvigorate the educational sectors in the entire world.
Lalong charged the teachers to see themselves as a special breed as the teaching profession is a noble profession to serve humanity they should be patriotic and transparent in all dealing because you are a role model.
He assured of government commitment to the welfare of the teachers, as he said the hitherto adage that teachers reward is in heaven will not have a place in my administration as you will enjoy your reward here on earth.
The Quest Lecturer, professor Nanven Audu Gambo of the Political Science Department University of Jos also challenged teachers to be an ambassador of their professional calling described the current falling of education to poor funding and instruments available schools.
He explained further that government poor funding has crippled completely the educational sector by destroying the system by cautioning the government to take the welfare of teachers seriously towards boosting the system.
Gambo said for teacher efficiency, he most be trained and periodically attending refresher courses within and outside the state.
