Teachers in Lagos State have again expressed concern over the continued delay by the Lagos State government in increasing the retirement age of teachers in the state-owned schools from 60 to 65 years or their duration of service from 35 to 40 years, saying the delay is becoming too long.
They equally asked the state government to employ more qualified teachers, especially to replace those, who have retired and also provide transit camp in form of accommodation for teachers living outside the state and remote communities.
The Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT), Lagos State wing, Mr Hassan Akintoye, made the appeal on Thursday at an event organised by the chapter to commemorate this year’s World Teachers’ Day celebration.
The theme of the event, which has the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his deputy, Dr Kadri Hamzat, the state’s commissioner for Basic Education, Mr Jamiu Ali-Balogun, State’s Head of Service, Mr Olabode Agoro; the Executive Chairman, State’s SUBEB, Dr Hakeem Shittu and the Permanent Secretary of the state’s TESCOM, Mrs Olubusola Abidakun, among others, in attendance was “The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage.”
Speaking further, Hassan said some state governments had already approved and commenced the implementation of the new retirement age policy and that Lagos State, which is known to be a pace-setter for good things, should not delay in doing the same.
“So, we want you as a teachers-friendly governor to approve for immediate implementation the policy as we strongly believe that such a policy would further motivate us to bring to bear our wealth of experience on the job,” he stressed.
The former President, Muhammadu Buhari, had about a year before leaving office in May 2023, signed into law the 65 years retirement age bill for the federal and all the state governments to domesticate for their teachers.
While some states had done so, many others, including Lagos, are yet to almost about two years after
Mr Akintoye, however, commended the state government for its efforts in the last four years towards moving the education sector forward.
He said the union acknowledged the prompt payment of teachers’ salaries and allowances, giving of excellence awards including brand new cars to exceptionally performed teachers, training and retraining of teachers and so forth, saying they have resolved to reciprocate the efforts through improved service delivery.
In his address at the event, the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who his deputy, Dr Kadri Hamzat, represented, commended all the teachers in the state for what he called their strong commitment to the production of total students for the future socio-political and economic development of Lagos State and Nigeria by extension.
He promised that the state government under his leadership would look not only into all their concerns raised at the event for consideration in due time but would also continue to prioritise their service and welfare.
He, however, urged them to be more committed to duty.
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