From Cap-In-hand To Career Progression’: Com. Raji Recounts How Makinde Transformed Teachers’ Welfare In Oyo

Former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State, Comrade Raji Oladimeji, has described Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration as a turning point in the welfare, career progression and professional dignity of teachers in the state, recalling how educators struggled with unpaid salaries, stalled promotions and poor working conditions before 2019.

Oladimeji, who is also the Deputy Chairman of the Mobilisation Committee of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), said teachers were previously subjected to difficult conditions, with salaries and leave allowances often delayed or neglected, while promotions stagnated for years.

According to him, teachers were once forced to go around “cap in hand” to seek assistance, a situation he said changed significantly following Makinde’s emergence as governor in 2019.

He described Makinde, himself a son of a teacher, as an answer to the prayers of educators, noting that his administration restored dignity to the teaching profession and gave teachers the confidence to speak and stand up for their rights.

“God answered the prayers of teachers by giving us a governor who understands our plight. As the son of a teacher, Governor Makinde changed the narrative. Today, teachers can walk with their heads held high and speak with confidence,” he said.

Oladimeji recalled that when Makinde assumed office in 2019, teachers were on strike over outstanding entitlements and other welfare concerns. He said the governor addressed the situation by clearing outstanding salary arrears and leave bonuses, regularising salary payments and addressing the two-to-three-month payment gaps that had characterised the system.

He also noted that the administration bridged the disparity in salary payment between primary and secondary school teachers, creating a more stable and predictable payment structure.

The former Regional Deputy Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, EDOLOOKOE comprising; Edo, Delta, Ondo, Lagos, Ogun , Oyo, Kwara, Osun and Ekiti explained that regular payment of salaries and other entitlements had strengthened teachers’ cooperative societies and supported the operations of NUT Endwell projects, while providing greater financial stability for educators and their families.

On career progression, Oladimeji described the removal of the long-standing ceiling that prevented teachers from advancing beyond Grade Level 13 as one of the administration’s landmark interventions.

He said the restriction had remained in place for about 27 years before Makinde’s administration removed the barrier, allowing teachers in the primary school system to progress to Grade Level 16.

According to him, Oyo State is now among the states at the forefront of career advancement for teachers, with educators progressing to GL 16 and looking forward to further opportunities at GL 17.

He also commended the appointment of teachers as Permanent Secretaries and Tutor-Generals across the state’s 10 educational zones, describing the development as a morale booster and recognition of professional competence.

He maintained that placing education professionals in strategic management positions had helped ensure that the sector was increasingly being managed by people with practical knowledge of the teaching profession rather than relying predominantly on administrative personnel.

On recruitment, Oladimeji acknowledged the global shortage of teachers, noting that Education International had repeatedly called on governments to recruit more educators to address the challenge.

He commended Makinde for responding to the challenge through the recruitment of over 14,000 teachers into the primary and secondary education sectors.

He particularly praised the Ministry of Education, Oyo TESCOM, and the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OYOSUBEB) for what he described as a transparent recruitment exercise, free from political interference, tribal considerations and discrimination.

He noted that non-indigenes were also given opportunities in the exercise, adding that the recruitment process had become a reference point for other states.

Oladimeji further observed that increased teacher recruitment had contributed to improved school enrolment, particularly in addressing the challenge of out-of-school children across the state.

He described the Makinde administration’s approach to teachers’ welfare as human-centred, citing the reinstatement of teachers who had been removed from the payroll during the administrations of former governors, the late Alao-Akala and Abiola Ajimobi.

According to him, affected cases were reviewed, and deserving teachers were restored to the payroll, giving many educators an opportunity to return to their profession.

He added that teachers now enjoy greater peace of mind because the government has avoided what he described as witch-hunting and unnecessary screening exercises.

Even in cases involving allegations of misconduct, he said, affected teachers were given the opportunity to face disciplinary committees, with some subsequently receiving pardons.

The former union leader also recalled what he described as Makinde’s personal commitment to the teaching profession, particularly his decision to suspend his holiday in 2024 to attend the annual Teachers’ Day celebration despite heavy rainfall and other official engagements, including the commissioning of projects.

He also highlighted the governor’s intervention in the road leading to the NUT office, which he said had remained neglected for several years before it was tarred by the administration.

Oladimeji said the governor’s relationship with the teaching community had attracted recognition from the NUT at the national level, which, according to him, had sent commendation letters to Makinde on two occasions and honoured him with awards.

Looking ahead, he expressed confidence in the ability of the APM governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, to understand and sustain the policies and welfare structures established under the Makinde administration.

He described Adekanmbi as someone capable of engaging with complex governance issues, drawing a comparison between his approach to policy matters and that of Governor Makinde.

He argued that the establishment of a sustainable baseline for salaries, pensions and other teachers’ entitlements would be critical to protecting the gains recorded in the education sector beyond the present administration.

Oladimeji consequently called for continuity in the relationship between government and teachers, expressing support for the APM’s political aspiration, including Governor Makinde’s reported presidential ambition and Adekanmbi’s governorship bid.