BAYELSA STATE GOVT TO DISTRIBUTE FREE SCHOOL UNIFORMS NEXT WEEK

BAYELSA STATE GOVT TO DISTRIBUTE FREE SCHOOL UNIFORMS NEXT WEEK 

Bayelsa State Government says it will commence the distribution of 150,000 pairs of free school uniforms and other educational materials including textbooks to all public primary and secondary schools in the state next week. Governor Seriake Dickson stated this while speaking a ceremony marking the 2012 World Teachers Day Celebrations at the Banquet Hall of Government House in Yenagoa.

 Describing Teachers as critical to the actualization of his administration’s educational policies, Governor Dickson pledged to continually support teachers to perform their duties effectively. The Governor posited that for society to be better, deserved attention should be given to its teachers. Responding to the teachers’ requests, Hon Dickson directed the state commissioner for works to approve contract for the construction of a link road to the Teachers House in Yenagoa which serves as the secretariat of the state council of the Nigeria Union of Teachers. 

The Governor also asked the NUT executive to liaise with the Transport commissioner for the release of an operational vehicle he had earlier promised the union. On remuneration, the state Chief Executive urged teachers to acknowledge the fact that they rank among the best remunerated teachers in the country. He however, directed the Commissioner for education, Head of service and the state chairman of NUT to meet on the issue of promotion as well as yearly incremental arrears and make recommendations for his consideration. 

Governor Dickson, who congratulated the teachers on their successful completion of a two-week training workshop, assured them of Government’s preparedness to implement its policy on human capacity building. According to him, government has opened discussions with a Canadian group for the training and retraining of teachers both within and outside the country. 

While assuring teachers of Government’s continued support, Governor Dickson warned them not to demand any kind of payments from their pupils and students, stressing that decisive action would be taken against erring school authorities. He explained that the earlier planned retraining programme for teachers at the Teachers Training Institute at Sagbama suffered a setbacks as the whole premises of the institute is currently submerged by flood. 

In his remarks, the Principal State Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Barrister Okoroafor Okechukwu commended the State Government for its education friendly policies such as the declaration of free education at the basic and post - primary levels Barrister Okechukwu complained about shortage of teachers in basic and senior secondary schools, and appealed to government to reinstate teachers who were recruited in 2011/2012 but were disengaged by the State Universal Basic Education Board. 

Also speaking the National President of NUT, Comrade Michael Olukoya called on Government to increase the retirement age of teachers in primary and secondary schools to 65years The NUT National President who was represented by Mrs. Gloria Igbegiri  also urged teachers in the state to work hand in hand with the Dickson-led administration to move the state forward.

 Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa state