Arepo (Ogun) – The Federal Government on Thursday urged the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) to give it all the necessary support in its plan to recruit 500,000 teachers in 2016.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made the call during his visit to WFM 91.7, a dedicated private radio station for women, located in Arepo area of Ogun state.
He said the recruitment should gladden the hearts of all Nigerians, especially stakeholders in the education sector.
According to him, it is government`s response to the poor teacher-pupil ratio in the country.
Mohammed said reservations expressed by the NUT on the planned recruitment were not necessary as the step, apart from boosting education quality, would reduce umemployment.
The teachers’ union had, through a recent statement by its National General Secretary, Ikpe Ikong, insisted that only professionals and not graduates in non-education courses should be employed.
The union also expressed the fear that the process might be politicised and used as a platform to reward political patronage, rather than employ genuine teachers.
Mohammed, however, said the plan would augur well for the education sector at the end of the day.
“The plan is a strategy to improve the quality of education in the country as it will boost education quality and reduce youth unemployment.
“I do not subscribe to the belief that because we are employing mostly graduates, we are going to employ quacks.I do not believe that Nigerian graduates are quacks.
“Yes, they may not have had training in core education, but we are going to train them in that regard.
“I think Lagos State has a programme in which graduates in non-education courses are trained to be teachers.
“And that programme has been hugely successful as some of them have proved to be better teachers, even without teaching certificates.
“We are not going to stop at the recruitment; we are going to train existing teachers,so that they are better equipped to turn the fortunes of the sector around,“he said.
On the anti-corruption war of the Federal Government, the Minister said the fight would be given the necessary vigour to recover all stolen funds.
Mohammed dismissed belief in some quarters that the fight was being used as vendetta tool, saying it was to recover looted commonwealth and put the country back on the path of honour.
He said, “The corruption level in the country is frightening.
“In Nigeria today, a man and his son are at the same time facing corruption charges, whereas a father should be the one to advise his son against doing the wrong thing.
“That is where we are. And now that the government is ensuring that these people face the consequences of their actions, the opposition is talking of human rights violation.
“Granting of bail to suspects is at the discretion of the courts, so if a suspect is not granted bail it does not amount to human rights violation.”
On the Chibok girls, Mohammed said the government was really concerned about their plight and would do everything possible to secure their release.
Mohammed urged Nigerians to align with the change agenda of the present administration and imbibe values that would help reposition the country.
He commended the WFM radio station for its focus on women and girls, urging the organisation to help promote the right values in the society.
The Chief Executive Officer of the station, Mrs Toun Okewale-Shonaiya, said the orgainisation was delighted about the minister`s visit.
She said the establishment of the station was borne out of the need to give a voice to the womenfolk, urging the government to give it the necessary support to realise its mandate.
NAN reports that the minister was later taken round to see the equipment and facilities at the radio station.
He also interacted with staff members of the organisation.
