Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole says he has no regret for the sack of 836 teachers in the state.
The governor — who was speaking in Auchi during the celebration of Allah at the 17th edition of Auchi Day, with the theme The Holy Qu’ran: Guidance for Mankind — was responding to claims by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) that he had promised to reassess the sack and recall all those whose sack was unjustified.
According to Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, the governor revealed the determination of his administration to sanitise and revitalise the education sector to produce students who would excel in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) without the help of miracle centres. He reiterated that the stay of teachers who cannot not read, write or speak good English would not produce intelligent pupils.
“Some people are bellyaching that we sacked teachers. We have no apology for that”, Ihonvbere said on behalf of the governor. “Some persons ought to have retired 10 years ago, but they reduced their ages in order to remain in the system. They have passed the age of 60 and are still in the system”.
On the matter of the day, he lamented that many Nigerian leaders have abandoned God in pursuit of worldly pleasures.
Also speaking, Otaru of Auchi, HRH Aliru Momoh, Ikelebe III warned that the struggle for power and influence only for corruptly enriching individual pockets would continue moving the country towards the path of destruction.