Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has disclosed that teachers in Public Primary and Secondary Schools in the state, who refused to show up for the Assessment exercise organized by the state government, may soon have their names deleted from the state’s payroll.
Oshiomhole, who made this known on Wednesday while receiving the report of the exercise from the Teachers’ Assessment Committee led by Prof Dennis Agbonlahor, former Vice Chancellor, Ambrose Alli University, said “I can readily tell you is that no teacher will remain in the pay roll of Edo State Government if we have not assessed him and convinced that he is indeed a fit and proper person to be entrusted with the classroom or the particular subject which our pupils are asked to learn”.
He added: “this for us is not politics; it is to stress the essence of governance and prepare our kids for the future for the inevitable role they have to play.
“Flipping through the report it is clear that you did a thorough job, painstakingly analyzing all the issues like elder statesmen and good educationists in spite of the harassment and subtle threat and you remained focused on the assignment and in the end, you have come out with a report that, I believe, will help us to have greater insight into the challenge of managing an efficient and reliable primary and secondary education.
“Even more importantly, you have ideas of what we have to do with the outcome and you gave a set of options. I believe the innocent children whose future is an issue and their parents and guardians, their spirit, their wishes to prepare their children for the future, our God will reward you for helping to advise on how best we can help to protect their future”, he said.
Oshiomhole, a former labour leader said, “I want to assure you that having generously obliged your time, and courageously carried out this assignment, we will have the political will to deal with all the issues. We are in politics to drive change. I do not think it is enough for someone to say that was how I met it. I want to be remembered for a guy who took the difficult decision and at the end paid the price.
“I like to assure you that once we have started, there is no stopping and no one is going to block us till we get to that point where we are convinced that as government we have done enough to secure the future of the Edo children”.
Turning to Prof. Agbonlahor, the governor said, “I will invite you back when we have formed an opinion on what we will do next”.
Earlier, Chairman of the 7-member Assessment Committee, Prof. Agbonlahor said the committee carried out the task and made all the necessary recommendations to ensure that the workforce of teachers in Edo State are properly trained and retrained.
“Those who failed to participate should be made to do so at the next available opportunity. It is in their interest to do so. We thank the government for the opportunity given to us to serve in this capacity”, he said.
Other members of the committee are Prof. Abigail Imogie, Prof. Ikponwonse Ogie, Prof. Noah Musa, Prof. Sunny Omobude-Idiado, Prof. Lilian Salami and Prof. Austin Osunde.
