Dr. Chike Onwe, a senior lecturer at Ebonyi State University, has made a call to the government to pay teachers on the same scale as senators, emphasizing the crucial role teachers play in shaping society.
During the 2024 Teacher’s Day celebration, Onwe lamented the neglect of teachers, stressing that their poverty-level salaries render them invisible.
He noted that teachers should not be treated as ordinary civil servants, but rather as nation-builders deserving of better compensation and benefits.
He emphasized that teachers are the next authority after God and priests, and therefore, must maintain their dignity and self-worth.
Echoing Onwe’s sentiments, Comrade Ekechi Francis Okorie, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Ebonyi State, decried the social disregard for the teaching profession. Okorie described teachers as character molders and nation builders, underscoring their pivotal role in shaping the future.
He questioned why unqualified individuals have taken over the teaching profession, highlighting the need for teachers’ voices to be heard in decision-making processes.
Okorie commended Governor Francis Nwifuru for approving the recruitment of 1,000 teachers to replace those who left the profession. He emphasized that World Teachers Day aims to establish a minimum standard for teachers’ welfare, social security, and professional relevance.
To put Onwe’s proposal into perspective, consider that Nigerian senators receive a monthly basic salary of ₦2,223,705, with an annual salary of ₦11,540,896.
In contrast, teachers’ salaries are significantly lower, making it challenging for them to make ends meet.
The call to action is clear: it’s time for the government to reassess its priorities and recognize the value of teachers in shaping the nation’s future.
