- SUBEB Chair, Princess Odu meets Okitipupa Primary school teachers
– Steve Ovirih.
It was a rousing homecoming for Princess Barrister Catherine Oladunni Odu at The Teachers House Okitipupa on Monday, the 15th September when she visited the Head Teachers of public Primary Schools in Okitipupa Local Government Area for a heart-to-heart discussion ahead of the October 10th Governorship election in Ondo State.
The teachers in their huge number sang the praises of the Ondo SUBEB Chair as they danced to show their gratitude for Princess Odu for her teacher – friendly policies and her avowed interest in the well-being of public Primary School teachers in Ondo State.
In the entourage of the SUBEB Chairperson were Princess Funmi Brown, full time member 1 of the SUBEB Board, Hon. Tayo Fayanju, full time Board member 2, Hon Sunday Oyepitan , Education Secretary, Okitipupa Local Government Basic Education Board (LGUBEB ), Directors at OLGUBEB, Mrs. Adelokiki, Chairperson , Conference of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (COPSHION) Okitipupa branch and a host of others.
In his opening remark, Education Secretary Okitipupa, Hon. Sunday Oyepitan described Princess Odu as a one in a million political Amazon and a very special gift to Idepe Okitipupa; a quintessential achiever and a mother figure to all the public Primary School teachers in Ondo State.
Hon. Oyepitan noted that when Princess Odu was at the helm of affairs at SUBEB under Gov. Agagu, she won award as the best performing SUBEB Chair in Nigeria, noting that same feat has been repeated again by Princess Odu under Gov. Akeredolu.
The full time members of SUBEB, Princess Funmi Brown and Hon. Tayo Fayanju in their separate remarks noted that they have come to sell a special product which is ‘Brand Aketi’ who has fared far better than his predecessors in recording giant records of great strides in the past three and half years of his first term in office.
While reeling out the indices of the feat achieved so far by SUBEB under her watch and the reason the teachers must give Gov. Akeredolu their overwhelming votes, Princess Oladunni Odu said in 2017 alone, 707 teachers were promoted while 98 teachers benefitted from inter-cadre transfer from Grade 2 to NCE cadre. She noted that in 2018, 1368 teachers were promoted , while 343 teachers had successful inter- cadre transfer from NCE to Degree cadre. Equally, 85 staff converted from non-teaching to teaching staff.
Continuing the analysis, Princess Odu noted that in 2019, 2595 teachers were promoted and 40 staff did their conversion from non- teaching to teaching staff. She said in the outgoing year 2020, 644 teachers have been promoted while 36 members of staff converted from non- teaching to teaching staff. Thus, between 2017 – 2020, 5,314 teachers have benefitted from a continuous promotion exercise with accruing financial benefits. Total inter-cadre transfers stand at 441 and 163 non- teaching staff have so far converted to teaching staff.
Princess Odu maintained that public Primary teachers in Ondo State have the word and promise of Gov. Akeredolu as regards the payment of the two remaining outstanding salaries , noting that Gov. Akeredolu who has made it possible for Primary School teachers to get to level 16 will make their welfare a priority in his second term.
Speaking on behalf of the teachers, the COPSHION leadership in Okitipupa, represented by their Chairperson, Mrs. Adelokiki promised the teachers’ massive vote harvest for Gov. Akeredolu come October 10th, 2020.
While appreciating the teachers, Princess Odu said Gov. Akeredolu inherited among other debts a backlog of seven months salary and he has leveled up the burden remaining two months, which he will definitely pay. She assured the teachers that their desire to be appointed as Head master – General has reached her , promising them that the ‘talk and do ‘ Governor of Ondo State will give consideration to their desire in due course. She said it is during the administration of Gov. Akeredolu that Primary School teachers in Ondo State can now reach the peak of their career as Level 16 officers, maintaining that the October 10th Governorship election presents a veritable opportunity for public Primary School teachers across Ondo State to show gratitude with their massive votes.
