APC praises Teachers over NECO results and congratulates them on Anniversary Day

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has congratulated teachers on this year anniversary of Teachers’ Day. It praised the teachers for hard work and dedication to duty, saying that the brilliant performance posted by Ekiti State students in this year’s NECO results was a reflection of the teachers’ hard work, professionalism and strict adherence to the policy enunciated by former Governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration to relaunch the state back to her former status as the Fountain of Knowledge.In a statement by Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party noted that the teachers deserved praises and encouragement in the face of the challenges of poor working conditions imposed on them, including default in their salary payments for six months, by Governor Ayodele Fayose. He added that the students’ performances had demonstrated that Ekiti teachers could become the best in the country if given effective orientation, right policy, conducive environment and incentives to perform their duties. He said: “APC salutes the teachers for their hard work and dedication to duty, which culminated in the brilliant performance of Ekiti students in this year’s NECO examination. “We also acknowledge the conducive working environment and attention to teachers’ welfare provided by APC administration, which introduced Teachers’ Core Subjects and Rural Posting allowances, including prompt payment of salaries. “It is on record that the last administration approved the teachers pecuniary allowance and relativity pay, which made Ekiti the only state that first started that policy in the South West,” he explained. Olatunbosun berated Fayose for alleged hypocrisy in his dealing with teachers, noting that while he always boasted to be friends to teachers, he had done nothing to improve on their welfare. He said: “If teachers are important to him as he claims, he would have made payment of teachers salaries his priority instead of a needless flyover, new Governor’s Office and airport projects. “It is the poor treatment of teachers by Fayose that has turned them to paupers who steal pots of amala on fire while some slumped in classrooms because of hunger.” APC’s spokesman charged Ekiti teachers to be wary of those who claimed to be their friends while actually making life miserable for them. Olatunbosun advised Fayose to stop “his deceit” in his dealing with teachers, even as he counselled the governor to follow the footsteps of his predecessor in ensuring welfare of teachers instead of media propaganda to pay lip service to their welfare, including presentation of cheap “ankara” fabric in public shows to the teachers in empty stomachs. “After Fayemi approved promotions for teachers and head teachers (some of which Fayose reversed), fixing dilapidated classrooms, approval of relativity pay, core subjects and rural posting allowances, by now, Ekiti teachers should have known which governor treated them better. “We call on Fayose to stop his cosmetic approach to education and embark on a more fundamental policy. He should take the welfare of teachers more seriously and create a better learning environment to enable the teachers and students sustain their performances to put Ekiti State permanently on top of other states in public examinations,” he concluded.