In Dapo Abiodun’s Ogun, the teacher is king

BY LEKAN ADENIRAN

There is a saying in Nigeria: “Teachers’ reward is in heaven.” This adage reflects a widespread sentiment that the invaluable contributions and sacrifices made by educators in nurturing future leaders often go unrecognized and are inadequately compensated here on earth. Teachers truly face a myriad of challenges, including poor remuneration, lack of resources, and diminishing respect from society. Their salaries often fail to reflect the essential role they play in shaping the minds of young learners.

Moreover, in some unfortunate cases, teachers find themselves subjected to hostility from irate parents, particularly when they enforce necessary disciplinary actions to maintain order and promote a conducive learning environment. In Ogun state, however, the case is remarkably different. Recognising the pressing issues, the administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun has made it a priority to transform the landscape for educators and the sector in general since assuming office in 2019.

The Abiodun government has initiated a series of innovative strategies aimed at elevating the status of teachers and ensuring that their rewards are tangible and meaningful, as well as ensuring a conducive learning environment for pupils and students in the Gateway state, reputed to be the nation’s education capital. One of the cornerstone initiatives under Abiodun’s leadership is the prompt payment of teachers’ salaries and allowances. By doing this and offering other incentives, the government aims not only to attract quality educators but also to retain them in the teaching profession.

This step alone has instilled a renewed sense of enthusiasm among teachers, who now feel that their efforts are valued and recognized. In addition to emoluments, the Abiodun administration has invested in professional development programs designed to empower teachers with modern pedagogical skills and methodologies. Workshops, seminars, and training sessions are regularly organized to equip educators with the tools they need to thrive in an ever-evolving educational landscape. This commitment to continuous learning not only enhances the quality of education but also fosters a sense of professional growth among teachers.

As the 2024 World Teachers’ Day, with the theme: “Valuing Teacher Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education,” was celebrated on Saturday, October 5, Governor Abiodun’s legacy in the sector was greatly appreciated and applauded by major stakeholders, including the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), as they took turns to list the laudable achievements of a prince ably tagged “Omo Baba Teacher.” ASUSS Chairman, Comrade Felix Agbesanwa, said: “We receive our payments as and when due; you have given us a Commissioner who is teacher-friendly.

Professor Arigbabu, as our commissioner, has been awesome, especially in the digitization of the entire education system that has captured both learners and teachers. Today, at the push of a button, a learner’s and a teacher’s record and profile will pop up on the phone or a computer. Our leave allowances have been paid up to 2023. Also, when you look around the state, the yellow roof is everywhere, right from Yewa to Egba, to Ijebu and Remo. I will not forget the approval and release of official vehicles to the office of the Principal-General last year. I won’t forget the gift of buses to the union in the state last year, which will not be forgotten in a hurry. The requirement for Ogun Teach Interns and upgrading them to permanent teachers is a promise made, a promise kept.

“We were surprised on May Day when it was not World Teachers’ Day when you told us that at the end of every two years, Ogun Teach Interns will be given permanent appointments. Since that time, I can tell you that you have wiped away so many tears from the faces of many homes in Ogun State. You brought sanity to our schools through the undertaking letters signed by the parents, which have restored peace, tranquillity, order, and decorum in our schools. Gone are the days when parents could come to our schools and beat our teachers; through this initiative, no parent dares come to our schools and harass our teachers again.”

Corroborating this, his NUT counterpart, Comrade Sewakanu Oladipupo, said: “Under your leadership, significant strides have been made in enhancing the welfare of teachers in Ogun State. This includes timely payment of teachers’ salaries and the payment of 2023 and 2024 leave allowances, which is a testament to the government’s commitment to our well-being, the appointment of Principal-Generals to replace the retired ones, thereby ensuring continuity and effective leadership, and the payment of a backlog of global deductions showcasing fulfillment of promises.

“Approving the permanent appointment of 2000 Ogun Teach Interns within a year thereby providing employment opportunities and promoting professional growth, provision of subsidized rice to teachers which, in turn, alleviated the burden on teachers, comprehensive training and re-training programs including overseas seminars and workshops to equip educators with cutting-edge skills, pioneering the digitalization of the education sector in Ogun State thereby ensuring readiness for the challenges of the future, and subsidizing public subscription I OGSHIA by 50%, which will be remembered forever.”

While speaking at the Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, the venue of the Teachers’ Day celebration, Governor Abiodun said that his administration’s commitment to education and the welfare of teachers was informed by the fact that “teachers are the architects of a society founded on knowledge, critical thinking, and compassion,” even as he commended ASUSS and NUT for the “remarkable resilience” shown by their members in imparting knowledge to their wards consistently, despite the myriad of problems confronting the country, including the devastating economic crunch.

He said: “Our administration recognizes the immense challenges in the teaching profession. Yet, despite these obstacles, our teachers remain unwavering, ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has the chance to thrive. We believe that education is the bedrock of any meaningful socio-political and economic development, and teachers are the architects of that foundation. As Nelson Mandela rightly stated, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ We remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting educators through our “Building Our Future Together” Agenda. Investing in education is an investment in the future of Ogun State. That is why we continue to improve teachers’ salaries, fund, training programmes, and ensure that every classroom is well-equipped. Furthermore, recent promotions in the management of our schools and the introduction of the OgunTEACH internship program are key initiatives in our education strategy.”

Governor Abiodun told the enthusiastic teachers, including the newly absorbed 1000 OgunTEACH interns, that the state government would soon release the outstanding 2023 and 2024 promotions. The absorption of the 1000 new intakes brings to 5000 the number of new teachers recruited since the present administration assumed office. Other investments of the State Government in the sector, according to the governor, include Ogun EDUCash of N50,000 to indigenes in all tertiary institutions across the country and N10,000 to primary and secondary school pupils/students, while the government has extended support to students writing the 2024 WASSCE among other initiatives.

“Some of these initiatives include the approval of an increase in rural allowances for teachers, approval of transport allowances for all teachers in lieu of two days allowed for public servants not to come to work, a free education policy with the cancellation of all forms of levies in primary and secondary schools (which resulted in improved access leading to increased enrollment in schools and a drop in out-of-school children), improvement in the Ogun Digitalized Multimedia Lesson Plan where teachers would be equipped with the resources to deliver effectively with centralized and digitised lesson plans, repositioning and construction of our Central Education Management Information System (EMIS) for data gathering, analysis, and presentation, a 50% increase in feeding allowances for learners in special needs schools, commencement of renovations of all five special needs schools in the state, approval for the Ogun State Education Intervention Fund (OGSEIF) as a Special Intervention Fund for the Education Sector, and the celebration and award of excellence to outstanding students of the state in recognition of their excellent performances at various academic competitions, dubbing them “Academic Laureates,” as well as the successful conduct of BECE with the introduction of OMR (Optical Mark Reader) sheets…” the governor said.

Prince Abiodun also disclosed that his administration would soon begin the construction of 12 blocks of 900 smart classrooms in four schools across the four zones in the state. The benefiting schools are Abeokuta Grammar School, Ijebu Ode Grammar School, Remo Secondary School, Sagamu, and Yewa College, Ilaro. Governor Abiodun said that not accessing the 2020 UBEC funds was intentional, but quickly added that with the approval of a new work plan, the state would soon start accessing the funds to improve the infrastructure of public schools.

He said: “You recall that when I assumed office, this state had not accessed the 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 funds. Shortly after I assumed office, we paid the counterpart funding for those four years, and we accessed the funding. The current one we are implementing is for 2018 and 2019. What I noticed is that most of the contracts were abandoned because of inflation; the pricing was not realistic. That was my number one observation. My second observation was that despite all these interventions, every now and then, you would see an Ogun State school in the news. You would see Ogun State learners sitting on 9-inch blocks and learning in schools without roofs, despite the fact that we have accessed UBEC or SUBEB funding.

“I realized that something had to be wrong, and what was that? I realized that the schools that were being built were not the worst of the worst schools. We put a hold on the program, and I set up a task force headed by the Head of Service, and I mandated them to go around the nooks and crannies of the state and identify the worst of the worst schools so that we are no longer embarrassed. I am glad to tell you that the exercise has now been completed, and I had to personally call the UBEC Chairman and tell him that we had to rework our work plan, and that work plan has to reflect our peculiarities in Ogun State. We must not have schools that are not conducive for academic planning anymore. I am pleased to announce to you that the new work plan for UBEC that reflects our peculiarities has now been approved. So, two things we will be achieving: all the abandoned schools and abandoned projects from the 2018 and 2019 plans will now have a methodology for rewarding and completing them, and the 2020 work plan will now reflect the worst of the worst schools.”

In summary, Dapo Abiodun’s innovative strategies have set the stage for transformative change in the education sector, especially concerning teachers’ rewards and recognition. By addressing salary disparities, investing in professional development, fostering community engagement, and improving infrastructure, his administration is working diligently to ensure that teachers no longer feel that their rewards are solely in the afterlife.

Instead, they are beginning to see the fruits of their labour, celebrated and rewarded in real and meaningful ways here on earth. Through these efforts, Abiodun is not just making promises; he is turning the age-old adage on its head and making teachers’ rewards a tangible reality while also improving the standard of education in the Gateway State.

Adeniran is the chief press secretary to Governor Dapo Abiodun