Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has approved the payment of ₦50,000 wardrobe allowance to each of the 20,000 teachers employed by the state, amounting to ₦1 billion, and
₦500,000 for each registered private school in the state to enable them extend the gesture to teachers in the private education sector.
Governor Eno announced these on Monday at Uyo Township stadium during the state’s celebration of Teachers’ Day, where he said his administration was committed to ensuring that teachers were adequately rewarded for their contributions to the development of the state.
“Teachers’ rewards are here. Our belief and conviction is that your reward begins here on earth, and we have taken appropriate steps to ensure that,” the Governor said.
He added that his administration had given its best to the education system and would continue to support the sector.
The governor also approved the appointment of Professor Philip Afaha as Vice Chancellor of the Akwa Ibom State University of Education and approved employment of additional 2,000 teachers following the earlier approval for the recruitment of 1,000 teachers.
He said the portal for the additional recruitment exercise would soon be opened for qualified applicants to apply.
Turning to teachers welfare, Governor Eno disclosed that the ₦50,000 wardrobe allowance would be paid to each of the 20,000 teachers employed by the Akwa Ibom State Government.
He also announced a ₦500,000 intervention for every registered private school in the state, saying the funds would enable the schools extend the gesture to their teachers.
Beyond the financial interventions, the Governor declared a state of emergency in the state’s education sector, directing the Deputy Governor and the relevant commission to constitute an Emergency Education Committee.
According to him, the committee will undertake a holistic assessment of the education sector and come up with recommendations on the steps required to address its challenges.
Earlier at the celebration, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Akwa Ibom State Wing, Comrade Edet Emenyi, and the representative of the National President of the NUT Comrade Ofonime Ekanem, appreciated the Governor for all his support to the development of education and the welfare of teachers in the State.
Teacher David Ukpong, who represented the 1,000 newly appointed teachers, also spoke at the event.
To further demonstrate their gratitude, the teachers unanimously endorsed Governor Eno, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio for a re-election in 2027.
The Teachers’ Day celebration brought together teachers, education stakeholders and government representatives to mark the contribution of teachers to the development of Akwa Ibom State and highlight measures aimed at improving their welfare and the education system.
