The gesture was part of the activities marking the 2022 World Teachers Day.
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has offered employment to the widow of Sunday Ogunjimi, a teacher in Odeda Local Government Area who slumped and died while participating in a protest by workers in the state in July .
The gesture was part of the activities marking the 2022 World Teachers Day.
The governor also rewarded teachers, school administrators, and schools who excelled in academics with houses and cash gifts.
The beneficiaries were Tajudeen Odufeso from Isara Secondary School, Isara- Remo, who was given a two bedroom bungalow as the Best Teacher in Public Senior Secondary Schools; Adelana Owolabi and Orebanjo Olusesan from Ijebu Muslim College (Junior) and Early Education Centre, Ijebu-Igbo, got N2 million and N1.5million for emerging Best Teachers in Public Junior Secondary Schools and Public Primary Schools, respectively.
Fagbamila Okeneye from Omo Edumare Model Nursery and Primary School, Ago-Iwoye, went home with a sum of N1 million as the Best Administrator in the Public Primary Schools category, while in the school category, Remo Divisional High School (Senior), Sagamu and St. Michael’s African Church School 1, Ota, won Best Public Secondary School (Senior) and Best Public Primary School, respectively.
The governor speaking at the event with the theme, “The Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers”, held at the Moshood Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, on Wednesday described teachers as career moulders, mentors and national builders who sacrifice their all to produce diverse professionals for the nation.
“No doubt, these peculiar people deserve to be celebrated. In fact, we should celebrate them every day and not just for one day that the global body has set aside like today,” he said.
“Let me on behalf of all of us – the government and the entire people of Ogun State – join all men and women of goodwill all over the world to thank very heartily and congratulate very warmly our teachers on the celebration of yet another Teachers’ Day.”
“Education is the bedrock of any meaningful socio-political and economic development. As a foundation for scientific, technological enrichment and the advancement of any society, no nation can become great without the positive contributions of her teachers.
“The future of any nation is usually determined by the quality of its education system and how it treats teachers.”
Mr Abiodun said Ogun State is the education capital of Nigeria and it achieved such feat through the contributions of teachers.
He attributed the commitment of the teaching professionals to the ability of students in Ogun to win numerous awards at different education competitions both national and international.
He said that more parents are now showing renewed faith in public schools by enrolling their children into them unlike in the past.
The Governor also said that his administration was in the process of supplying 25,000 furniture to all public primary and secondary schools and renovating over 956 classrooms in primary and secondary schools.
He said approval has been given for the start of Ogun Digitalised Multimedia Lesson Plan, where the teachers would be equipped with the resources for effective delivery.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abayomi Arigbabu, in his welcome address, said the theme of this year’s celebration is in tandem with the incumbent administration’s agenda to reposition the education sector.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Abiodun Akinola, lauded the state government’s efforts at training and retraining teachers, and recruitment of more teachers.
He, however, urged the government to address the disparity in salaries between primary and secondary schools teachers, while efforts should be made to address the issue of out-of-school children.
The State Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) Akeem Lasisi, commended the state government for abolishing all forms of levies in public schools.
He urged the government to increase the allowance of teachers serving in the rural areas.