Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has said the state government would begin the implementation of the new minimum wage of N30,000 from this month.
Fayemi said the decision was predicated on the need to improve the living standard of workers, especially teachers to be able to deliver the best and reposition the state to its pride of place as the education nerve centre of the country.
The Governor spoke at Oluyemi Kayode stadium in Ado Ekiti on Saturday during the 2019 celebration of the Teachers’ Day, with the theme: “Young Teachers, the Future of the Profession”.
At the event, Mr. Henry Olaoluwa Asubiojo of Amoye Grammar School and Tajudeen Olaoye of Anglican Primary School, Esun Ekiti and Mrs Mojisola Ehinafe of Technical School, Ado Ekiti, were awarded with cash price of N500,000 each, for emerging as the best teachers in the state.
Fayemi said he decided to inject new breeds of teachers into the state’s public schools, by recruiting 2,000 new teachers to safeguard the future of the state.
“We will commence payment of N30,000 to workers in Ekiti with effect from this month. We are determined to reward diligence because the workers, particularly our teachers have done the state proud.
“In this year’s WAEC, Ekiti was ranked 12th. I want to salute our teachers but that is not where Ekiti belonged, we must continually do more to rise to number one”, he said.
He said he was highly determined to protect and preserve the core values of making Ekiti the education capital of the nation.
Fayemi said he decided to establish more schools in Ado Ekiti capital city to depopulate the overpopulated ones and make learning more conducive.
“The only way we can reclaim.our lost glory in education is to encourage our teachers in and outside service. I will promote functional and technical education in this state.
“I have also ensured that all students of school age are in schools in line with education law which makes basic education compulsory and in line with global best practice.
In his lecture at the forum, the Provost, College of Education, Prof. Isaac Adeoluwa, said for Nigeria to move to its pride of place, teachers must be made to be ICT compliant and embrace modern techniques of teaching.
“Use of digital tools methodology makes learners innovative, expand scope of retention, increase teachers competitiveness and relevance and create enabling environment for both learners and teachers”, he said.
The Chairman of the Ekiti State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Com. Samuel Odugbesan praised Fayemi for recruiting teachers into public schools across the state, saying this will help in strengthening the future of education.
His counterpart in Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, Com. Sola Adigun , said prompt and regular payment of salaries has rescued the teachers from wanton poverty.
Odugbesan said: “Teachers are retiring every day without replacement but with these recruitments in primary and secondary schools, the future of our education is guaranteed.
“Not having young teachers in the teaching profession is threatening the future of education and these recruitments are commendable”, appealing to Fayemi to pay all outstanding salaries and allowances for improved welfare and wellbeing of the teachers.