Meet The Governor Who Wants To Become ‘Part-Time Teacher’

In a bid to boost education in Plateau state, Governor Simon Lalong has pledged to create time and teach for at least one hour weekly.
Leadership reports that Lalong made the pledge when he received officials of City of Refuge Friends Club, Pankshin.

The governor announced that members of his cabinet, when constituted, would follow his example and do the same, not minding their professions.

“My Deputy, Prof. Sonni Tyoden is teacher, the director of Research, Prof John Wade, is a teacher, they must teach,” he said.

Acknowledging the importance of education, Lalong stressed that his administration would give special attention to this sector.

“We inherited a rot in the sector but are trying to give it the attention it deserves because if you build the roads and the people are not educated, you have nothing,” he noted.

The governor also promised to revisit the issue of amnesty, which nobody had been granted in past eight years in the state. He revealed that he had already ordered the state Chief Judge to reintroduce the amnesty, so that those who deserved it would be pardoned.

Nenpan Zakka, the founder City of Refuge, told Lalong that they came to intimate him of their model of free education, designed by youths, for youths.

She noted that no school could boast of the number of teachers that City of Refuge had. She also stressed that the teachers taught for free, while the students paid no school fees.

Zakka called on the governor to volunteer to teacher for free to boost education in the state.

Earlier this month, the governor of Plateau state revealed that he has not received any salary since he assumed office on May 29, 2015. He also noted that a difficult financial situation in the state was the reason for the delay in making political appointments.