The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi, has urged the federal government to be committed to the regular payment of salaries of teachers in the country.
He also called on Nigerians to imbibe the culture of celebrating teachers who are contributing to the human capital development of Nigeria, rather than embracing the politicians creating problems for the country.
Obi wrote this on his X page (formerly Twitter) on the commemoration of the World’s Teachers’ Day on Thursday, stressing that the teachers’ contributions remain inexhaustible in Nigerian society.
“I would like to celebrate all the teachers in Nigeria today, as the global community marks World Teachers Day. I celebrate them for their commitment to the task of nation-building. It is often said that the building of great nations begins in the classrooms,” Obi wrote.
“The foundation of the development of any society is human capital development which can only be achieved through education and the immeasurable contribution of teachers. So, there cannot be any true development in a society without the critical input of the educators who are our teachers.
“The great rigour, hard work, patience, and dedication most teachers in different schools and institutions, especially at the basic level, put into their work to ensure that their students can become the best in learning and character, deserve special acknowledgement and commendation.
“I have always celebrated teachers in Nigeria, whenever the opportunity comes. For example, Mr Akeem Badru, who won the 2023 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Award. I have also maintained that the government should begin to celebrate Nigerian teachers who through hard work and dedication, have distinguished themselves in many ways, rather than celebrating individuals who contribute to the challenges facing us as a nation.
“I urge the government to take teachers’ salaries seriously and ensure that they are paid as and when due. At the basic education level, which is the most critical, governments should intervene in schools owned by private and voluntary agencies, and ensure that their teachers are paid as their counterparts in public schools.
Obi, then, addressed the teachers to continually display tenacity and endurance, saying, “I encourage the teachers to remain resolute and patient despite the present hardship prevalent in the nation. We all look forward to better days, the dawn of the ‘New Nigeria.’”
