The Edo State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has commended the giant strides of the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in the education sector, reaffirming the union’s support for the reelection bid of Governor Obaseki and his deputy, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu.
In a statement by the Union’s chairman, Pius .O. Okhueleigbe and the Assistant Secretary General, Moni Mike Modesty Itua, the state chapter of the NUT hailed the governor’s uncommon and unprecedented transformation of Basic and Technical Education in Edo State within three years of his administration, urging residents to support the governor and his deputy to consolidate on the achievements recorded in their first tenure.
The Union further dissociated itself from an online publication purportedly made by one Suleiman Abdul who claimed to be a teacher in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the state.
The teachers said the publication was aimed at maligning the union and Governor Obaseki, describing the publication as the handwork of mischief makers.
They said the union conducted an investigation into the source of the malicious publication and discovered that: “There is no teacher in Akoko Edo Local Government Area known by the name Suleiman Abdul; which means that the publication is the handwork of mischief makers.”
According to the NUT, “The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki came tops as the 2019 Best Governor in Nigeria due to his uncommon and unprecedented transformation of Basic and Technical Education in Edo State within three years of his administration; which also received and has continued to receive both national and international commendations and adoption. The Award was never a purchased one but given by a very reputable Teachers Organisation to a very responsive, foresighted, humane, people-centered and knowledge-driven Governor.”
The statement noted: “The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Membership Register does not have Suleiman Abdul as a member of the Union. Therefore, as an impostor, the author of the publication does not have any locus standi to write for or on behalf of Edo State Teachers or the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Edo State Wing; for such powers in accordance with the Union’s Constitution, are vested in the State Chairman and State Secretary.
“For the purpose of the 2019 World Teachers Day National Award bestowed on His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, which was twisted in the said publication, the Union wishes to emphasise that a very diligent and painstaking exercise of screening/evaluation was carried out by its constitutionally empowered Award Committee (as contained in Article 10(vii); in Abuja vis-à-vis the use of stringent benchmarks for determining who wins the Annual Award amongst all the Governors nominated.
It added: “Nonetheless, the pending issues of Teachers’ welfare in Edo State are already being jointly attended to by both the Union and the State Government. Therefore, any individual or group that has misgivings or hatred against Edo State Government or the Executive Governor of the State and his appointees, should not hide under any cloak or drag the NUT into it, but seek redress by exploring the laws of the land.
“The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Edo State Wing, hereby informs the general public and readers of the evil publication earlier mentioned, (or any other ill-motivated publication(s) that may surface after now); to totally disregard the contents, their intents and discard them into the trash-bin.”
