Teachers’ Career Adjustment: NUT and other Educational Stakeholders Hail Gov. Amosun
The recent approval given by the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun for immediate career adjustment of over 1,345 stagnated teachers in the State Teaching Service Commission has been described as a factor capable of motivating teachers generally throughout the State for better performance and service delivery.
This was the aggregate submission of stake holders in the education sector in their reactions to the step taken by the Governor.
It would be recalled that in the week gone by, Governor Amosun had given the approval which made it possible for the teachers, some of whom had been stagnated on a grade level for at least six years due to the disparity in the years of obtaining their NCE and Degree qualifications to be adjusted to their appropriate grade level.
The stake holders including union leaders in the education sector maintained that the development has shown that the administration was committed to the teachers’ well being, considering the huge financial implication on the State’s purse as the beneficiaries are mostly senior officers on grade levels 14 and above.
In his reaction, President, Academic Staff Union Of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) in the State, Comrade (Dr.) Tunde Folarin whose members were major beneficiaries said that his members’ joy knew no bound on Monday, 10thMarch, 2014 when the news was made public.
Comrade Folarin stated that Governor Amosun has again won the heart of teachers in the State with this singular gesture.
“How do you expect someone who possesses additional qualifications but whose progress on a job is being barred or stagnated because of some systemic issues perform effectively?, With this approval however, those affected would not only be happy, but would be willing to do more in terms of productivity to justify the gesture” Comrade Folarin noted.
His counterpart in the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Dare Ilekoya, could not hide his joy about the development either, as he sees it as a victory for the entire teachers in the State. According to him it amounts to justice for one which is justice for all.
“The issue has for long been begging for attention, you can imagine one being on the same spot for a period of six years or more without any progress.
However with this, Governor Amosun has brought smiles to the faces of teachers, he has right the wrongs of the past, this is victory for all the teachers, because what affects one will definitely affect the other” Ilekoya stated.
He therefore charged all teachers in the State to reciprocate the governor’s gesture and redouble their efforts towards teaching the students as expected because
“where the students have not learnt, teachers have not taught” and that “to whom much is given, much is expected”
In yet another reaction, a Principal-General in the Commission, Mrs. Gbemi Onasanya lauded the Governor for boosting the morale of teachers with the approval, assuring that the Commission on its part would do everything to ensure that teachers in the State justify the gesture.