The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has described teachers as God’s greatest gift to mankind.
He said the survival of every society depends on how enlightened the people are, arguing that as agents of enlightenment, teachers hold the key to the future of everysociety.
Peterside who said this at an interactive forum with teachers in Rivers State assured of his commitment to qualitative learning tools, balanced curriculum and the well-being of teachers.
Himself being a son of a teacher, promised to pay special attention to learning and instruction in the state.
“I am sure many of you do not know that I am the son of a teacher. My mother taught all her life until she retired from service. So I am the son of a teacher who believes that teachers are the greatest gift God gave mankind because without teachers, we cannot raise the next generation.
Peterside said that education is acknowledged globally as the single greatest force for transforming a society for good, stressing that nothing else can transform a society better than education.
“Thatis why it is better to have an enlightened society than a society where people are ignorant. An enlightened society will endure but a society where you have only infrastructure will not survive.
“A society where people are enlightened is called sustainable society while the other one with ignorant people is unsustainable; it is transient and could go extinct.
“Therefore any serious government must pay attention to education. And the teacher is very important because if you remove him or her, the conversation on education ends. If this is so, then our focus should be on developing the capacity of the teacher. I will transform education and make it work. I will also motivate teachers by giving them extra so they can go the extra mile”.
Peterside who acknowledged that any investment in teachers is an investment in the next generation, stressed that his government would deploy information technology tools to aid teachers since they are part of a new world driven by ICT.
He said he would personally work towards improving the welfare of teachers so that they can earn their reward both here on earth and also in heaven.
In his remark, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Rivers State Wing, Geofrey Nwogu commended the APC candidate for presenting to teachers, an enviable blueprint that addresses every area in the education sector.
Nwogu who said the union is proud to support the son of a retired teacher, called on their colleagues across the state to give APC and Peterside the necessary support in the coming election.
The chairman praised Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for taking over the payment of primary school teachers, the infrastructure in the education sector and the recruitment of 13,000 teachers, which he said is unmatched in the country.
He urged Peterside to continue in the footsteps of Amaechi so that the on-going revolution in the education sector will go full circle.
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