By Esho Ayemoba
With barely 4 days to State House of Assemblies Polls, the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has extended the retirement age for teachers in Edo State to 65 years or 40 years of service.
The government and stakeholders who spoke to EXTRAORDINAIRE.com on condition of anonymity deferred even as the government insists and averred that this in furtherance of his commitment to boosting workers’ welfare.
Those of those who spoke to our Report in Benin City, say the gesture is coming rather late as it’s intention to woo the teachers vote.
Recall that the PDP, which is the ruling party in the state lost ground to both the APC and Labour Party.
The Edo State Head of Service, Mr. Anthony Okungbowa, who disclosed this in a statement, said the governor’s approval reinforces his unwavering commitment to building a solid foundation for repositioning the education sector in the state.
According to him, “Mr. Governor has approved a new retirement age for teachers in Edo State.
They will now retire when they clock 65 years of age/40 years of service, whichever is earlier.
“This is in demonstration of his commitment to ensuring that Edo teachers are the best motivated in Nigeria.
“It is important to remind Edo people that Edo teachers are the best-paid teachers and Edo workers are the best-paid workers in any public service in Nigeria.”
He noted that the development will ensure that teachers with decades of experience are retained in service to contribute their quota in providing quality education to Edo pupils.“This is another big win for Edo workers. The governor has continued to show that he will always place the interest of Edo workers above all else. Today, this is another testimony to that fact,” Okungbowa added
