23′ Teachers’ Day: Oyebanji doles out N35 Million to best teachers in Ekiti

Adebayo Adenrele





Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State on Thursday has doled out over N35 million to teachers and administrators for their impressive performances in uplifting education in the state.

Oyebanji gave N5million each to the best teachers in both Primary and secondary schools categories which include Osaranmaye Yetunde of St. Marks Nursery & Primary School, Ilupeju Ekiti for the Primary category and Owoseeni Tolulope of Harding Memorial College, Ado Ekiti for the Secondary Category.

Other awards include twenty-six consolation prizes of N100,000 each cutting across both Primary and secondary schools while the first runners-up got N1.5million each and the second runners-up got N1 million each.

Also, N2million went to each of the two best administrators from primary and secondary schools categories in the state. They are Ogunruku Blessing Adebimpe of SUBEB Nursery & Primary School, Oye Ekiti and Oso Ebenezer Oluwarotimi of Christ School, Ado Ekiti.

Presenting the Cheques at the well-attended event held at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, Ado Ekiti Governor Oyebanji congratulated the teachers from the 16 local government and the LCDAs, for their strong commitment to duty, patriotism, resilience and hard work in promoting education in the state.

The Governor also said his administration has committed over 2Billion Naira to massive renovation and upgrade of schools throughout the sixteen local government areas of the state to make learning environment more conducive and interesting for both teachers and learners.

Governor Oyebanji, who said his administration recognized the roles of teachers and their sacrifices despite obvious inadequacies, explained that it was the reason his government has focused attention on meeting some of the basic needs of the teachers which included payment of outstanding salaries, promotion areas, leave bonuses, car loan, among others.

Speaking on the theme for this year’s World Teachers’ Day, “The teachers we need for the education we want: the global imperative to reverse the Teachers’ shortage”, Oyebanji said the challenge of shortage of teachers is a global phenomenon that needs concerted efforts to address which is why his administration has undertaken two consecutive recruitment exercise since he assumed office.

He explained that his administration had cumulatively recruited 1500 teachers into the primary schools and 500 teachers in the secondary schools segments respectively, with an assurance that his government would continue to employ more teachers to fill vacancies occasioned by retirement and change of career.

While commending the teachers for their dedication and steadfastness to duty, the Governor charged them to continue to do their best to ensure the students are well educated in all domains of education. He also urged the teachers to continue to improve their profession by taking the advantage of modern technology devices in modernizing their teaching skills in order to make learning more robust, all-round and relevant for today.

In his words, “As you are now well familiar with our Six Pillars of Administration, youth development and human capital development are the number one and two respectively in the six pillars. For us, the most urgent need today and the nearest future is the empowerment of our youths through quality education, skill acquisition and innovation. To achieve these pillars, you are at the central of the process.

“It is for this reason that we have focused attention on meeting some of your basic welfare needs including the payment of outstanding salaries, promotion arrears, leave bonus, car loans among others. We recognize your dedication to duty and contribution to the development of our state and we will continue to give you necessary incentives to make you to do more.

“Our administration has undertaken two consecutive recruitment exercises since I assumed office. As at today, we have cumulatively recruited 1500 teachers into the primary school segment and 500 teachers into the secondary schools, bringing the total number of newly recruited teachers to 2000.” The Governor stated.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Olabimpe Aderiye who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi applauded the Governor on the respect and motivations he accorded teachers, adding that various achievements of the Governor in educational sector has shown that he is really a teacher-friendly Governor.

In their separate goodwill messages, the SUBEB Chairman, Prof Femi Akinwumi who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Afolabi Adebiyi, NUT National President who was represented by the former South West vice president, Comrade Kayode Akosile, Ekiti NUT President, Comrade Dauda Olaitan, ASUSS Chairman, Comrade Sola Adigun, all commended the Governor for all his giant strides in education sector which has taken the state to an enviable position.

They hailed Oyebanji for prompt payment of salaries, running grants, transformation of technical colleges, and renovation of schools buildings among others. They also assured the Governor that teachers in the state would be more committed and dedicated to the overall interest of the state.

Also at the event were the Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye; Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye; his Oyo State counterpart, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin; members of the House of Assembly; members of the State Executive Council, Secretary to the State Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro, among others.