Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has promised to pay four-months salary out of six months to the recalled Education Inspectors, Principals and teachers who were relieved of their appointments, six months ago, for dereliction of duty.
The sacked teachers were recalled in the Governor’s May Day rally speech at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.
The recalled teachers who resume today, Monday, said they have learnt their lesson the hard way and pledged to be more diligent in their duty.
The recalled teachers and Education inspectors, totalling sixty, at a meeting with the Governor in Benin City, weekend, thanked Oshiomhole for giving them a second chance after staying at home for six months without pay.
Speaking on behalf of the CIE and ZIE, Mr. Steven Omoruyi who said they are now ready for better service delivery appreciated the governor for his magnanimity for calling them back to their duty post after six months without pay.
On behalf of the Principals and Teachers, Sir Felix Igie said they have learnt their lesson, adding, “We are now better principals and the lesson is enough for other teachers and principals to learn from.”
While Pastor Sunny Okakah who spoke for the Local Government Education Authority and Secretaries maintained that it is only a fool that will allow affliction a second time, therefore they assured that they will give their best this second time.
The Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said the decision to relieve them of their appointment was a difficult one to take, but the least he owes the Edo child is quality education.
“Thank you for taking time out to come and say all you have said. Let me thank you for appreciating what we have done and let me use this to explain to you why we took the decision which was a difficult one for me.
“I believe that the least I owe the Edo child is quality primary and secondary education. We have seen some of our schools are beautiful than some of our higher colleges. This is deliberate because “I know that it is a fact that there is no country over the world where everybody is a graduate. But what some countries have achieved is a situation where every child has sound primary, secondary education. Once you have a sound foundation even if you are unable to go further you have what it takes to help yourself in life,” he noted
According to him, “once that foundation is faulty then nothing else in life is likely to work. I visited some of your schools and saw that they had no roof, no ceiling, some with potholes and some with grass growing inside the classroom. When I went to Idia College I saw how they used particle board to try to demarcate one class room from the other, the situation was so bad but I was determined that the starting point is to rebuild the schools.”
In his words: “It was not by accident we started rebuilding schools I made sure they are of the finest quality. Look at government house you will see that we have not done anything here. The government house in Edo is one of the oldest in the country. My colleague celebrate they have the best government house, I have not spent any money on government house because for me what is important is those things that will affect majority of our people rather than my own personal comfort.”
The governor recalled that, “you will notice I never visited any school until we had completed quite a number. I do not have the moral courage to tell a teacher who is in a leaking classroom why he is not at work because I myself if I am in such a place I will not be able to work, I could not ask a teacher why are you late to school. I knew they were working under terrible condition and I made up my mind we must do something.
“That was why when I went round and I noticed some of those things I was pained. To have the privilege of being the governor I know the people have entrusted on me the wellbeing of all the people who live in this state and central to that is the future of our children. It was out of that feeling and my personal experience that made me feel so bad that I had to take that decision”, he disclosed.
According to him, “When people start saying I should forgive, I did not listen because all those people almost without exemption their children are not in public schools and therefore if our public schools are shut down their children are not affected. The only way your son and my son can be a governor is that the public school must function. The only way the okada rider can be the father of a minister today is when the child has access to good schools.”
The governor who maintained that all those school buildings will amount to nothing unless the teachers are committed to their duty to teach the children said the state government will pay the recalled teachers four months’ salary out of the six months, while the two months will be penalty for their absence.
“To complete the healing process, this will not be used against you, it is all over and it will not affect your promotion”, Comrade Oshiomhole assured.
