Obi to Teachers: You Are Critical To Nation Building

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has encouraged all the teachers in Nigeria to remain committed to the task of nation building, by discharging their duties diligently, and showing good examples to their students, and society at large. Obi explained that there cannot be any true development in society without the immeasurable contributions of teachers.

Obi made the remarks in his message to mark World Teachers Day 2023. He reiterated that at the foundation of the development of any society is human capital development, which can only be achieved through education and immeasurable contribution of teachers.

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“The great rigor, 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.

“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 hardwork and dedication, have distinguished themselves in many ways, rather than celebrating individuals who contribute to the challenges facing us a nation,” he added.

Speaking further, Obi revealed that while serving in Anambra State, his administration would not have been able to achieve the many feats they recorded in the education sector in Anambra State, without the devotion and commitment of teachers in the State. “We need to revolutionalise education in the nation, by aggressively reducing the present 22 million out-of-school children and bringing them back to schools. This we can achieve by making more investment in education and employing more teachers,” Obi said.

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,” he advised.

Obi, finally, called on the teachers to remain resolute and patient in the present hardship prevalent in the State and look forward to a better Nigeria, the New Nigeria.