‘They deserve honour’ — Obi asks FG to celebrate teachers over roles in nation-building

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, says the federal government should celebrate Nigerian teachers rather than those who have impoverished the country.

In a statement to mark World Teachers Day, Obi said there cannot be any true development in society without the contributions of teachers.

He noted that at 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.

“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 commendation,” Obi said.

“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 a nation.”

Obi added that while he was governor of Anambra, his administration would not have been able to achieve the many feats it recorded in the education sector without the devotion and commitment of teachers in the state.

“We need to revolutionise education in the nation, by aggressively reducing the present 22 million out-of-school children and bringing them back to schools,” he said.

“This we can achieve by making more investment in education and employing more teachers.”

He also urged 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 at all levels, should intervene in schools owned by private and voluntary agencies, and ensure that their teachers are paid as their counterparts in public schools,” Obi added.

He called on the teachers to remain resolute and patient despite the present hardship prevalent in the country and look forward to a better Nigeria.