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1 AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY DR. KAYODE FAYEMI, THE GOVERNOR OF EKITI STATE ON THE OCCASION OF THE YEAR 2011 WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY CELEBRATION HELD IN ADO- EKITI ON WEDNESDAY, 5 TH OCTOBER, 2011 PROTOCOLS It is my pleasure to be here today on this great occasion of the World Teachers’ Day Celebration. I am not just here to rejoice with our teachers but as a co-celebrant, to identify with the practitioners of the noble profession at this material time. As you all know, the World Teachers’ Day is an initiative of the UNESCO and has become an annual event when teachers all over the world are celebrated in recognition of their inestimable contributions to nation building. Let me say unequivocally that I closely associate myself with the brains that instituted the Teachers’ Day in our contemporary society as teachers still remain character moulders and capacity builders in all ramifications. I began to have much respect for teaching as a profession and for teachers in this State almost immediately on assumption of office. It might interest you to note that one of the first things I did in office was to receive three (3) who came 2 nd and two other who came 5 th respectively at the Year 2010 President’s Teachers’ and Schools

Governor fayemi's speech at the 2011 world teachers’ day celebration

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Page 1: Governor fayemi's speech at the 2011 world teachers’ day celebration

 

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AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY DR. KAYODE FAYEMI, THE GOVERNOR OF EKITI STATE ON THE OCCASION OF THE YEAR 2011 WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY CELEBRATION HELD IN ADO-

EKITI ON WEDNESDAY, 5TH OCTOBER, 2011

PROTOCOLS

It is my pleasure to be here today on this great occasion of the World

Teachers’ Day Celebration. I am not just here to rejoice with our

teachers but as a co-celebrant, to identify with the practitioners of the

noble profession at this material time.

As you all know, the World Teachers’ Day is an initiative of the

UNESCO and has become an annual event when teachers all over the

world are celebrated in recognition of their inestimable contributions

to nation building. Let me say unequivocally that I closely associate

myself with the brains that instituted the Teachers’ Day in our

contemporary society as teachers still remain character moulders and

capacity builders in all ramifications.

I began to have much respect for teaching as a profession and for

teachers in this State almost immediately on assumption of office. It

might interest you to note that one of the first things I did in office

was to receive three (3) who came 2nd and two other who came 5th

respectively at the Year 2010 President’s Teachers’ and Schools

Page 2: Governor fayemi's speech at the 2011 world teachers’ day celebration

 

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Excellence Award that was held in Abuja on 5th October,

2010. This is a clear indication that our teachers are not pushovers. It

is also worthy of note that a distinguished son of Ekiti, a retired

Principal and Tutor General, Mr. Kehinde Ojo won the Principal

Emeritus of Nigeria (PAN) Award in 2011. I salute you all for doing the

State proud.

The theme of this year’s World Teachers’ Day Celebration, “Teachers

for Gender Equality” is obviously at tandem with the philosophy of my

administration on Women Empowerment and Gender Equality as

espoused in our 8 Point Agenda. This is a reminder to us all that gone

were the days when females were restricted to certain careers and

professions, when women were groomed for marriage and their roles

were reserved for the kitchen.

I wish to call on you, nation builders, to use your skills in promoting

gender equality among the students. The future of both the male and

female students is entrusted into your hands. I like to reinstate the

fact that paying closer attention to gender dynamics in the classrooms

is a good tool to ensure better teaching and learning for male and

female students. In this process, our education industry will be better

for it.

There is no gainsaying the fact that this country would have produced

many female Engineers, Pilots, Presidents, Governors, Architects and

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other core professionals if the classroom conditions

had been so favourable to them. It is on this note that I wish to

enjoin you to give all our students equal attention in advising and

monitoring, revise curricular, if necessary, to include female

experiences and to include them in more than just stereotypical ways.

It is necessary to emphasize the need to discourage discussions from

becoming dominated by verbally aggressive male students. To

motivate the students and earn their trust, it is necessary to call them

by names while female students are given equal proportions of

assignment All these, among others, would help to further develop

their thought and equally encourage positive responses.

Statistics have shown that women are beginning to take their rightful

places across the global. Lagos State Judiciary is dominated by

females and the Igbos are worried about the fewer numbers of males

compared to females in their schools. The story in Ekiti State is also

changing. Today we have more females in public offices than ever

before. It is still the intention of this government to accord women

more recognition because of their sound character, intelligence and

diligence. Remember when you “train a man, you have only trained a

family but when you train a woman you have trained nation”.

I want to use the opportunity of this occasion to assure teachers of

the kind considerations by this government. The Government shall

continue to institute policies that will make the profession an envy of

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others. I however want to call for your understanding

on our people focused policy directions. These policies are meant to

make you stand more firmly rooted in the sands of times. In this

government, please be assured that you will get all that legitimately

belong to you. We know you are principled, enlightened and

progressive minded. We know your worth and nothing will be done to

undermine your known integrity.

Distinguished Teachers, Ladies and Gentlemen, I congratulate you

most sincerely for this year’s Teachers’ Day Celebrations and wish

you more prosperous future celebrations

Thank you and God bless.