The governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu has noted that the government was disturbed by the scale of absenteeism among teachers as well as drug addiction amongst them.
In his address to mark the World Teachers’ Day in Birnin Kebbi at a ceremony organised by NUT and Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Bagudu said the two unions must partner the state government to address the situation.
He said, “If we pay lip service to lapses in our educational system, we are throwing away the future of our children and our tomorrow’s leaders.
“I was at a community recently during one of my inspections to schools in the state and one of the elders of the community told me that nine out of the 11 teachers in that school are drug addicts and they are well known in the community”.
The governor observed that the education sector in the state must be made better for it to produce young people who would compete with others from across the country.
He urged the unions to take urgent measures to check their members involved in drugs and those absenting themselves from work.
“If we don’t agree as a people to give priority to education, we are toying with our destiny”, Bagudu added, even as he disclosed that his administration has spent N700 million on the payment of WAEC and NECO fees of final year secondary school students in the state.
Admitting that teachers’ welfare was essential in getting better results, he pledged to give it priority.
“Though it is difficult, we feed the pupils, provide chairs and desks for them, but we will also make sure that teachers in the rural areas are made comfortable by providing accommodation for them”, the governor declared.