Don Makes Case for Welfare of Teachers in Nigeria

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city

The retired Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies of the University of Benin, Professor Felix Ebhodaghe Okieimen, has charged the government of President Bola Tinubu to pay more attention to the welfare of teachers, most especially Chemistry teachers, as it’s done in Germany, where they are paid higher salaries.

Okieimen stated this yesterday when he addressed journalists on the occasion of a farewell party held in his honour at the Department of Chemistry in the university by his colleagues to honour him on his retirement.

The retired don, who advocated for a better funding of universities in Nigeria as it is the only solution to the myriad of problems bedeviling tertiary education in the country, said Chemistry is the epicentre of everything, but unfortunately the government is neglecting it.

According to him, “Everything revolves around Chemistry. But why is it not occupying the space of opportunities in this country as it is in America? Nigeria is not a knowledge-driven society.” 

“We don’t like people with knowledge. Even those that have practically demonstrable knowledge are being messed up by the leadership of this country.

“It appears that this country hates people that have knowledge. Once you’re knowledgeable, they bring you down. In Germany, teachers are paid the highest salary. Without teachers, we won’t be where we are. So why not give them their due respect? Why are teachers relegated to the background? Why are they considered the poverty index of this country?

“We are all beneficiaries of the teachers’ input. They deserve our respect. Teachers in Nigeria should earn high salaries like in Germany, so that the best can teach our children.”

On the recent policies of some state governments to reduce the number of days in a week that pupils attend school because of the hardship resulting from the removal of fuel subsidy, the don stressed that: “Why putting education as less important? If health workers must come to work everyday, why will teachers be told to abandon their pupils for two days of the week?

“It just shows the mindset of the ruling class about the value they placed on education generally. It should be the other way round.”

He said Chemistry is the cornerstone of science, adding that: “God gave the power to recreate to Chemists. They can change one thing to another.

Okieimen was also of the opinion that free education in public schools is a fraud considering that the majority of the pupils who attend private schools.

“If you say you have free education for public schools, is it for who, for the minority of the pupils? Is that free education? We are not doing education a good service by the leadership. It is only right that teachers, especially Chemistry teachers, should be given their right of place in the scheme of things,” he stated.